Hellraiser IX: Oblivion
by 14member
Summary: This is my old fanfic, written two years ago. In it, Elliot, rises from the dead, and tries to use Lemarchand's box as a time machine to go back in time and kill Lemarchand! Enjoy!
1. Resurrection

**Hellraiser IX: Oblivion**

**Chapter 1. Resurrection**

India. Present days.

- Hey, Johar, are you sure that nobody's gonna catch us here?

- Absolutely, Doud. This distctisct has been dying since the beginning of the last century, even vagabonds don't live here anymore.

- Firstly, how many times I asked you to stop calling me Doud, I'm David, goddamn you! How many times?

19-year old fellow ignored this remark – what was the point in paying attention to this, if these American couldn't realize, that Doud and David is the same name, only shortened?

- And secondly?

- Secondly, if the vagabonds don't stay here but the buildings are still quite new, there must have been some reason for it.

- I'm not aware of this reason…

- Who cares, guys? – one of two girls interrupted them. – There is no police, parents and their friends, nervous neighbours, and all these means…

- That we can have fun all night long! – a curly-haired 17-years old boy added.

- Yep. So, let's go!

All the company climbed over the fence, which was represented by piles of garbage gathered on the road to make slums unreachable for cars.

- Wow, they can shoot horror movies there!

- Creepy place, aha. But after some bottles of beer it would look pretty the same as my house.

- It's better to go as far as possible…

- Hey, guys!

5 teenagers shrugged of sudden fear.

- Guys!

They turned to the sound of voice. Stooping little silhouette emerged from the dark. One of the girls drove her flashlight at him.

What are you doing here? It' not a safe place!

It was an old man, he looked 80 or even older. They could see he was in a hurry, maybe he was afraid to be late and fail to catch them before they'll enter the slums.

- Gosh, old man, you've scared the hell out of us!

- What do you want? Stop scaring the girls – mind your own business!

- What's your business here? There is no place for the living here.

- Stop telling this shit, get loose somewhere, all right?

- You don't listen to me! Don't you see there is no place for the living? The pain that poisoned the surroundings here won't leave this place, and if you don't leave, you'll feel this on your own back!

- He must be nuts. – one of the girls whispered to David's ear.

- I see. – he answered in whisper.

- Listen, oldie… - the curly-haired boy said with a kind smile. – we just found here the short way, you see? We meant no harm. We'll just cross this street and go away and nobody except you'll know that we were here.

- This place is bad…watch your skin! And don't you touch anything here! Curiosity killed more than one life here. I don't want anybody to suffer.

- Of course, of course, we'll fly like an arrow and promise not to touch anything here.

- We promise, yes.

The old man didn't believe them. He looked at them from head to foot and sighed.

- I cannot persuade you to leave. You made your choice. God bless you.

He turned around, have looked at them with very sad eyes. He left, as if dissolving in the deep dark.

- Creepy.

- See him in your dreams, and stutter till the end of your life.

- He may go to hell, let's go unless beer gets warm!

…..

- Cool pot, that was a scream, where do you get it, Johar? – a curly boy asked, giggling and yawing.

Of course he received no answer as the music was screaming too loud in this place, which could be hardy called a house, as it looked like a long corridor with only one door.

- Guys, no more booze to my sister, she says she's now celebrating her birthday at home!

- Leave her alone, that cool – two birthdays in a year!

- Hey, Dave, stop jumping all around like a horse! I don't hear a shit of a music because of your trample!

- Shut up, I only started! – snarled David and continued so-to-speak "dance", tampling the floor with his boot. One of the boards didn't sustain and broke in two.

- You're dallard, Dave! Come on, break this hut to pieces!

- Hey, guys – David looked into the hole in the floor. – I see there something!

- Ha, treasure chest or pirat's map?

- Hey, I'm serious, I see some crap off there! – David put his hand into the hole and started pulling something out.

- Uh, an ooold rag!

- Shut up you, stupid. It's not a rag! – David turned over the "treasure".

- Wow, real soldier's uniform!

- Judging from the straps, a captain's uniform.

- Now from our country, some foreigner.

- Who could have needed to hide it here?

- Hey, dudes – David put the uniform over his shoulders. – how I look? Like a brave battle-hardened soldier?

- Don't flatter yourself, like a veteran-tramp in this dusty rag.

- Hey, look in the pockets, maybe you'll find a wallet.

David started searching the pockets at hearing the word "wallet".

- Ouch!

- What's up?

- Fucken shit! I pricked my hand with a goddamn needle!

- Oh, it's bleeding!

David at seeing his bleeding finger wiped it on the first piece of cloth he could find and it was a sleeve of the uniform.

- Fuck, no more booze today… - he mumbled staring at the sleeve.

- Hey, why?

- It' seemed to me that this thing….sucked the blood in…

- What?

- Hey, look at it yourself, I've seen it….

He couldn't finish the phrase. The cloth of the sleeve torn and something white and thin crawled out of it and pierced into David's palm.

- What the…? – at seeing this the curly boy jumped up.

David yelled trying to tear this thing from his injured palm. At this time nearly all the sleeve was covered in his blood. Blooded sleeve started tearing apart at the seams and a bony hand appeared out of it.

- AAAAAAA!

- Oh shit!

- Take this away from me!

At that time "a hand" started squeezing his throat and he started choking.

- NOOOO!

All the rest curled in the corner looking with widened eyes as the bony fingers tore his throat apart and bloody fountains started gushing from the wound. One of them flooded the second sleeve and another hand crawled out of it and pierced into David's stomach.

Johar couldn't bear this view and made a great mistake. The hand at the throat finished it's work and caught the guy by his hair tearing the tuft out of it. Loosing his balance out of pain Johar fell on the floor and was covered by convulsing body of David. Bloody hands continued tearing it to pieces. Bloody parts were scattered all around.

- Gods, what is it?

What was called David now turned into a bloody pool with broken bones. Even his head rolled to the side and Johar couldn't get rid of the body – the uniform turned out to be very heavy. He saw why – the skeleton started to rise out of the bloody pool. Johar was paralyzed with fear. The skeleton turned and looked at his with empty eye sockets, lowered to him as if he was sniffing the air.

- What the….? – it was his last words before bloody fingers squeezed out his eyes.

The head of the skeleton lowered to the corpse. All three young people started screaming when the monster tore our Johar's lower jaw. They saw with their own eyes the skeleton acquiring veins and muscles, sucking in their blood. Mucilage gathered in his eye sockets and they saw his eyes full of pain and fury…

Monster was approaching them…

They chose the perfect house for their party – no wondows, with only one door, closed on the inside, in the empty ruined district… Nobody's going to complain about the loud music and indescribable human screams…


	2. Kirsty

**Chapter 2. Kirsty.**

The USA. Several days later.

- Miss Cotton, shall I see you home?

"Gosh, not again…" – Kirsty was ready to curl up and die only to get rid of those damned admirers. Hardly had she showed herself weak or seemed "mysterious" to them, they appeared like wasps around jam. How much she wanted to discourage them!

- Oh, no, Mr. White, don't worry. – she said with a compelled smile and went faster.

Of course, she was to blame herself for extra attention. She was not only an "accident widow" but an extraordinary pretty and "lonely" woman. If adding her rather "normal" behavior it was obvious why she was paid "special" attention at work.

- Hey, Kirsty!

- No, thanks! – she snarled at the security at the building.

It's over, no more men. It's just history. She's through with it – all the men she knew either tried to kill her or betrayed her trust. And all of the died… Only Steve survived, perhaps only because he had guts to leave her. He did right unless he'd spend his days somewhere between her father's and Trevor's personal hell.

"Damn it, again I remembered this bedhopper!" She felt sick and leaned to the nearest lamp stand. Several passers-by looked sideways at her.

"So that's the way I'm trying to escape their attention" – she chuckled to herself.

She wouldn't forget those situation in the bus, when she went into hysteria at seeing some guy, sitting in front of her and playing some stupid videogame, when she heard out of the games device: "Unless we'll tear your soul apart!" Or how she vomited on the counter when beef reminded her human flesh. No wonder she was given extra days-off, she was allowed to take vacations, when it was convenient, and was advised some numbers of "rather promising" psychologists. As if she was given a broad hint "Get well, until it's too late". Only in her case no psychologist could help her, not less than psychiatrist. But she'll never visit psychiatrist, even at the cost of her life, she had enough till the end of her life!

What was abnormal, is to call her existence a life. Work-home, home-work, days-off meant staying at home and going mad, than work again. She wanted to forget such life and run somewhere into the wild, only out of here.

Or perhaps opening those crap stuff and run into cenobites' embrace shouting "Do wherever you want only get me out of here!"

She broke into laughter at the last thought. Something heavy touched her shoulder. She screamed and turned around but it was an only old neighbour. She sighed.

- Oh, I'm so sorry, miss Cotton. I didn't mean to scare you.

- Oh, don't worry. Something with my nerves today…

- I…well…my dog tore his chain, I couldn't see…well, you have a pit in your lawn. I'll pay the damages, I promise…

- Oh, it's a trifle, forget it. I don't take care of my lawn much…

Her neighbour, as if she waited for such an answer, continued:

- My dog pulled something out of the pit, when I started to pull him from it…

Kirsty's heart leaped.

- That's what he found – she stretched her hand out.

Everything inside of her was burning – this goddamn box. Well, the dog must have paid enormous efforts to pull it out – she remembered that she had du it somewhat a metre and a half below.

She took the box carefully. Saying goodbye to her neighbour she went home with rigid panicky walk.

- You bore me to death – she turned to the box, as if it was an annoying fly. – I tried to drown you, lose you in the park, even dug you, but you return to me as if some kind of a boomerang!

She stared at the box on the half way to the kitchen.

- Anyway – Kirsty couldn't stand the long pause. – if you like me so much, I'll have to upset you, this feeling is nonmutual!

It wasn't irrational to talk to this puzzle box. And it was such a sweet interlocutor – never scraped acquaintance, listened and always kept silence!

- You'll spend this night in the fridge! Maybe it will serve you right to leave me alone.


	3. Meeting old friends

**Chapter 3. Meeting old friends.**

Strange noise woke her up at night. Being not sure that she heard it for real but not in a dream she closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep again. But the sound repeated.

- What the…?

"I'm not to be charged, if again some cat scraped through the ventlight and now smashes up my kitchen trying to get some food!"

The noise repeated louder. She heard the sound of clinging forks.

"No, it's not a cat".

She started searching the upper compartment, absent-mindedly trying to find a gun. It occurred to her that she was in the living-room – no compartment, no gun.

"Damn it!" – Kirsty looked around in the dark, trying to see something sharp or heavy at least. As if by some evil misfortune, she saw nothing of this kind. What she hand at hand was an alarm-clock and half-finished kefir package.

"Ok, let's improvise" – she rose out of bed slowly and lazily and started crawling towards the kitchen. Of course, she could have had a narrow escape through the front door, but after all she had survived, she wouldn't be a coward to run from some petty thief. No way! One of them is going to escape from this house, and that wouldn't be her for sure! Suddenly she remembered the torchlight and broken toaster in the entrance hall, which she was going to repair in a day or two.

"Better than nothing" – she thought while weighting toaster in her hand. "If to strike him on the head, he'd drop unconscious".

She approached the kitchen door and lend her ear to it. Whatever the thief was doing there, after him the kitchen would certainly need repair.

She turned the handle and opened the door slightly. In the shell she saw nothing, so she had to open it wider. Peering into darkness she saw some movement in the end of the kitchen – somebody was stirring her sink.

"Strange thief – what he's trying to find there except dustbin?"

Well, that wasn't the main thing to worry about, as the department with kitchen equipment was turned over. Knives glimmered in the sunlight. She put the toaster on the floor as silently as possible and reached for the knife. She failed to do it silently, as the reaction of the stranger was pretty quick – he made a u-turn. Kirsty managed to switch on the torchlight and instantly silence hand in the air. She seemed to feel her heartbeat as her heart was tearing out of her chest.

- You? – that was the only word she could breathe.

The face of the stranger twitched as if he was a dog commanded to attack. She raised the razor but missed – a centimeter or more and in a moment her throat was clenched by a strong man's hand. Another hand started twisting her hand. She let the knife go. Kirsty struck his head with a torchlight but it was too easy and small – no effect. The clench became harder, her eyes dazzled and she stopped fighting.

- Where is it? Where is it?

Even if she wanted she couldn't answer as her throat was stiffed so much she could only croak. The stranger as if understanding that she couldn't answer, lessened the clench, but he did wrong. As soon as she breath in, feeling of reality returned to her and she did what she never did before – with all her effort she poped him. He choked as a dog chewing the bone and let her go. She gave a start to the entrance hall.

- No! Wait! Don't go!

"Aha, right now!" – she thought running up the stairs. - "Gun, gun, I need to get a gun".

She ran into her bedroom and grabbed a gun, than she lurked behind the door at hearing steps on the stairs. In a second the stranger ran into the room and stood, bewildered at seeing nobody. She clicked the safety device and the stranger turned around. The gun was pointed right into his head.

- I've gone through a lot because of you, but trespassing to my flat – that's a bit too much!

- Kirsty… - he pronounced slowly and irresolutely.

His tone produced strange effect on her, she even doubed – was it really whom, the man she was thinking about. His tone didn't resemble him – non-masterful, no self-confident, and the timbre was not so low and deep.

- But…it's you!

- I'm glad that you remember me.

- But…what are you doing here?

- Put away the gun and I'll tell you everything.

- Aha, for sure – I'll do it and you'll try to choke me again or – what's better – call the chains?

- No chains anymore. I swear, I didn't mean to hurt you…

- Ha! "I didn't mean to hurt you"! Somebody used to tell me something very different!

- When I saw you, I felt emotional shock and "he" obtained control over me…thank god, not for a long time.

Kirsty's head was spinning and she wasn't sure that it was not a dream.

- Okay, tell me any reason why I shouldn't blow your brains off right now?

- Well – he reached for the gun. – Maybe the reason is that I'm trying to improve the situation?

He heart numbed and the word "improve" sounded like a ray of uneven hope. One part of her was eager to shoot this bastard, who brought misfortunes to her life since she was 16, the other part tried to understand why he was here, why he looked like a human, what he wanted and why he wanted to "improve the situation"?

Seeing her bewilderment he whispered:

- I'm not asking you to believe me, allow me to tell everything.

She hesitated, on the one hand she knew how "tender" he was with human brains, on the other hand, if he was a demon, no bullet could hurt him. She could shoot him now, make him angry and die at once. Or win herself some time and allow him to speak.

She put the gun away slowly.

- All right. Let's talk, mr. cenobite.

- I'm not a cenobite. At least the main part of me. At the moment, and I have a name.

Only now Kirsty understood, that she didn't know the name of her opponent.

- Okay, let's introduce to each other. I'm Kirsty Cotton.

Smile appeared on his face.

- Spenser. Elliot Spenser.


	4. A Plan

**Chapter ****4****. A Plan.**

He's been around; he lived like that for a long time. In any place, where vice of man flourished he was always. Invincible, silent keeper, he was to protect the safety of Gates. But today he had much more pleasant and rare business – today he was a hunter.

Shadows curled and floated in the corners of narrow streets, that were his shelter, home and hunting ground. The night fell and now, when everything seemed to silent, The Keeper could hear every frightened heartbeat, hoarse of every sick man, every groan of pain and moan of pleasure. These feelings were unfamiliar to The Keeper, apart from those who came to this world from time to time through the gates, entrusted to him. He wasn't made for their pain and pleasure, he only fulfilled the will of his creator, he was to serve only one purpose, but some of these feelings he could understand. The killer instinct. Machine, made for this purpose, couldn't stand idle. He was lead by the smell of blood – and now this smell was always very strong, for him this smell never vanished. The person he followed must have split lots of blood. This blood soaked into him and became his integral part, as blood brought him into this world. Now he was trying to hide – hide from himself – but his inner demon felt more and more hunger, so The Keeper could feel him.

Night hid the traces of sleeping city and only one stooped figure crawled through the the pitch-dark. The hunting started.

…

Kirsty was sitting in the living-room watching Elliot. He was sitting right in front of her and looked around in the room, but his look was not like of a person, who came to some place for the first time, there was no curiosity in it. He looked around searching for something and Kirsty had a pretty good idea of the object of his search, but still she waited for him to say it aloud.

She admitted that since the time, when she saw his "real" face in the Labyrinth, he didn't change at all. He didn't get older. But it was easy to explain – demons shouldn't get old.

- So. You wanted to tell me something.

- Ah, yes, of course. – Elliot said, as if he remembered only now that he was not alone – There is some such I can tell you, don't even know what to start with…

- Okay, tell me, how did you get here?

- It wasn't so hard to scrape through the window – Elliot shrugged his shoulders. – you forgot to lock it.

- No, I don't mean that. How did you get on earth again? Escaped?

- You cannot escape from hell, I told you about that before. But there is one method to return the damned soul back on earth.

Kirsty looked at him, intrigued.

- Blood. – Elliot whispered. – Same thing happened to me that once happened to your uncle Frank. Somebody spilled the blood that returned me back to earth.

- But who needed to resurrect you?

- Nobody. It happened by accident. As your father returned Frank by accident.

Kirsty felt discomfort. How much time she spent to forget her past nightmares, but now one of them was sitting in front of her and made her remember all the rest of them.

- Well, I assume you're telling the truth. But what do you want from me?

- Nothing personal. What I need is one thing that you keep in your house.

- The Box.

- Yes. – his eyes narrowed and Kirsty understood that now they came to the turning point of the conversation. – You see, when I was in hell I got to know one thing considering this puzzle box. Both Hell and Earth think that the puzzle box is a gate to hell. Depending on the way of opening cenobites can come, chains can be thrown out or the man himself can fall down right to hell. The box can be opened to make diamond-shaped to protect people from it and nobody could use it. The box can be used to send the summoned powers back.

- As I did?

- Yes, as you did, when we took Frank… But it was not the end. There is one more method to solve the puzzle, so that even cenobites don't know about it.

- Wait, how did you get to know?

- Once I…well, another part of me crawled in the farthest and forsaken corners of the Labyrinth. There, where no cenobites dwell and not a single damned soul is tortured. Only walls and darkness – Nothingness. Only writings on the wall – in some dead forgotten language, half of them erased. What I managed to read there was sufficient. For my second half this information was more than useless and pointless, but not for me…

- And?

- If you can solve the box in one particular way, you can have power over the Time. If you wish to go to some particular place and particular time – it can bring you there.

- Wait a minute, so you tell me that it's not only a gates to hell but also a…time machine?

- Call it like that.

- But wait…what do you…?

- I've got a chance to improve everything. Do you understand? Improve everything! Having power over the time you can do whatever you want – from your own past mistakes to the end of world wars! I want to see Le Marchand.

Kirsty held her breath.

- Why?

- You didn't guess? – Elliot chuckled. – He is to blame that demons walk on earth, many innocent people condemned to eternal suffering in hell. I'm going to prevent it.

- You want to…

- Kill him before he creates The Box, yes.

Kirsty felt pumping in her ears so hard she could faint. Storm of thought swirled in her head – time travelling, killing of some Frenchman and…preventing of all this chaos? The man sitting in front of her tells he can prevent the appearing of cenobites? No hell-boxes, no demons, no resurrected relatives, many people saved. That's nonsense! It's impossible!

- Kirsty, please, give the box.

Kirsty rose and went to the kitchen. Elliot followed her – she opened the fridge and pulled out the box with a trembling hand. She turned around and saw his bewildered look – as if she pulled the box out of a flush tank. "Yep, perhaps I'm the first person on earth who even put the box into the fridge".

- Now… - Elliot reached for it. – You can give it to me.

Kirsty was ready to give him this box, when suddenly she imagined for a moment that his eyes went totally black. She absolutely understood that it was her imagination, but her heart leaped with fear.

- Wait a minute. Why should I trust you?

- You shouldn't trust me. But think it over – the man standing in front of you, once sacrificed his life to save you. And you still have to confidence in me.

- But after this you tried to kill me again. Because of you I have blood on my hands… you did something to this goddamn thing that now it's following me everywhere!

- It wasn't me! – Elliot was getting angry. – It was Him! I mean no harm. If you give me the box, thousands of life will be saved. Stop being so obstinate!

- If I won't? - she snarled. – You'll take it by force?

His face turned pale, his pupils widened, than iris vanished, he shook with all his body.

- Give me the box, girl! NOW!

This voice she could recognize out of the million. The light glimmered, dishes shook, coffee machine exploded – it all looked like some kind of an earthquake.

- Go and take it!

Elliot, to be precise those who possessed him now, roared and tried to catch the box out of her hands. But as he approached the puzzle box an electrical discharge stuck him in his hand. Burns appeared on his palm, his sleeve got fire and he fell backwards. He hit his head on the jamb, slowly yielded back and covered his face with his hands. Strange, but Kirsty felt sympathy for him, looking at him right now…

- Sorry, I made you angry, I should have believed…

- What a fool I was… - Elliot whispered. – to believe that he'd let me do it…

What he hoped for? Pinhead wouldn't let him fulfill what he wanted, it's easier to kill both of them than let him destroy the gates. The box itself, the energy within it fed the demon inside of him, filled with power. It means, Pinhead can possess him any moment.

- Listen. – Kirsty sat near him. – I believe you. I want to believe you as you're telling the truth. But you see, I cannot give it to you. But it doesn't mean that I won't help you.

Elliot put his hands off his face and looked at her with some astonishment.

- You see, a person with double personality is not the best candidate for the first time travel in history. There must be someone to evaluate the situation and watch your state. I'm going with you.

Spenser only gave a sigh full of regret. He didn't want to involve somebody else into this adventure, especially Kirsty, who had to survive many hardships because of him. But now he saw that she was absolutely right and there was no need to argue.

- Only tell me how to solve this damned thing.

- I don't know.

- What? But how did you…?

- I don't have this information. Yet. But I know where to get the exact drawings.

- All right. – she gave a sigh, understanding that this night was going to be long. – When we're to go?

Her confidence helped him, because if the frail girl wasn't afraid to give a dare to hell, he had no right for despair.

- Better to go….right now!


	5. Attack

**Chapter ****5****. Attack.**

Although it was a late hour, the taxi reached home in less than 15 minutes. Elliot approached the drived and explained to him where to go. Kirsty stood aside and just, as darkness could let it, looked around the familiar surroundings – perhaps for the last time. She got lucky already three times but who could be sure, that she would be of advantage for the fourth time?

- Kirsty, let's go. – She heard Elliot's voice.

She cast the last glance at her house and went to the taxi.

- I only warn you, that the trip will take no less than 2 houres and will cost you a fortune. – the young driver said with a thoughtful air.

Kirsty gave a sign that money was of no importance, their goal was to get to the place.

…..

More than an hour passed. The car was driving along absolutely empty wide interstate and the landscape was quite deserted. No houses or trees, only empty frozen field surrounded them. All this darkness and emptiness was boring, the driver was biting his lip feeling angry with silent passengers – he tried to speak with them several times but the woman gave short answers and showed him that she wasn't in the mood to talk. The man near her didn't say a single word.

Kirsty was half asleep when she suddenly felt something heavy on her shoulder. She opened her eyes and saw that Elliot leant on her shoulder and was in a deep sleep. If Kirsty ever evaluated something in her life, it was the peaceful sleep of other people. She had no habit to wake people without any reason since childhood. In addition, sleeping Elliot seemed less dangerous than awake. It was rather strange, but seeing him sleeping was a really disarming, as if there was no Box, and now he was only the old tired soldier who only wanted to get home. "He must have been awake for ages" – Kirsty thought.

- Mrs. – the driver turned to her. – if it's not a secret, why do you and your husband go so far at night in such a hurry?

At the word "husband" Kirsty lacked air. She looked at Elliot, sleeping quietly on her shoulder "Yep, this so-to-speak husband could have been my granddad". Of course, she chose greedy stud, who never missed a single woman on his way, and now a lunatic with spit personality was called her husband. Perhaps she never deserved anybody better.

- So?

- Ah…you know…one distant relative phoned and said that we should come. – she told the first thing than came to mind.

- Anybody died?

- Well, I don't know, I hope not.

The driver was to say something else, when suddenly…

- What the…?

The car sharply put on the brakes, and shook everybody inside. Elliot hit his head on the driver's seat.

- Ouch…what's happened? - He asked rubbing the bruised head.

- A bushel and a peck of them, even here, in the country! – the driver exclaimed.

- Tell me what's happened? – cried Kirsty and saw some figure standing on the road.

- Get off the road, you, drunken bum! – the driver shouted, opening the door.

Instead of stepping aside the figure went towards the car. The headlights caught only his rags but his face was in the shadow.

- Who's that? – Kirsty talked out watching the driver coming out of the car, but when she turned to Elliot she saw that his eyes were widened with fear.

- Hey, I'm talking to you! I said get out!

The stranger put his hands on the bonnet and started sniffing the air loudly as if trying to smell something.

- Elliot, what is it? – Kirsty whispered.

- Kirsty…climb over forward…

- Why?

- Climb over, right over the seat in front.

- Tell me why!

- You bastard, can you hear me? – the driver grabbed the stranger by his shoulder.

In a moment the time seemed to have stopped to prolong the bloody slaughter. The stranger caught the man by his hand and pulled off as if it was a mattock in the soil. The driver yelled with pain as his hand parted from his body with an awful sound. The stranger threw it on the bonnet as if it was a cigarette end or garbage. The blood from the wound poured him and car, when the stranger put his fingers into the driver's mouth and tore out his tongue and put it into his mouth. Kirsty felt a lump in the throat.

- Climb over and start the car!

She shouldn't have been repeated to. She was far from being an acrobat, but it was a child's play to climb over the seat and land on the driver's place.

She tried to start the car with one hand and tried to lock the door with another. But the killer already tried to push his hand into a window. Disgusting and blooded hand reminded not the part of human body but a clawed limb of some wild animal. She clapped the door and squeezed his hand several times. Whoever this maniac was, she seemed to feel no pain. Kirsty slammed the door with all her effort and the stranger retreated. The car finally started and start with a jerk.

As the car started movement the killer struck a blow on it so much that the pane of glass near Elliot broke to pieces, but luckily the car moved with a good speed.

Kirsty looked in the rear-view mirror and was speechless. The stranger chased the car…on his knees! And she was afraid to admit that he was pretty close!

- Oh shit! What the hell is that?

The maniac was a few steps behind and Kirsty found courage to do a risky thing: she backed a car. Unfortunately these seconds were enough for the creature to jump on the boot. He opened his mouth, sputtering on the glass and Kirsty and Elliot saw that his face started to stretch, fangs appeared from his mouth and horns appeared on his temples as if pressing the eyes off.

- Shoot him! – Kirsty exclaimed throwing gun to Elliot.

Spenser caught the gun and shot three times, having turned around. Two bullets came through the mouth of the creature, third tore his nose away. It fell down under the wheels of the car.

After the wheels rolled over this creature, it's bones fractured under them and Kirsty rushed forward and the wheels gave the second start over this abomination.

- Elliot, what do you think – is it dead?

- I doubt.

- God damn it, why I didn't doubt it too?

Kirsty was driving at full speed when Elliot was peering into darkness behind the window…Nobody.

- Who was it at all?

- The Guardian.

- Thanks for this information. But his nickname won't tell me a thing.

- Wait a minute.

- What? Again? – Kirsty looked into the mirror. – Nobody's there.

- I saw a shadow.

In a moment something fell heavily on the roof of the car. It broke and a bony awful limb tried to get Spenser. He jumped under the seat and shot twice. No effect was produced, the creature only pulled off it's hand only to have a second try and catch Kirsty.

Cotton screamed when huge fangs pierced into shoulder. Blood gushed from the wound at once, the pain was so strong that her conscience left her at the very moment.

- Kirsty! – Elliot tried to shoot again but the gun misfired. Elliot threw the useless gun and roared – LET HER GO!

His voice broke the dark of the night and the heaven itself shrugged, at the same moment, a huge chain with a hoot at it's end swished in the air and cut half of the monster's palm. The creature squealed, when the new chains broke the roof of the car. Elliot climbed to the front sear, caught unconscious Kirsty, opened the door and, holding the girl in his embrace, jumped out of the car. The car with a monster, chained to it's roof, flew from the cliff and exploded.

Elliot rose on his shoulders and looked at Kirsty. She was still unconscious and the wound on her shoulder was bleeding still, she's got several scratches and bruises. Although most of the hit Elliot took on himself while falling. But both of them were alive what was most important. They were not very far from Merchant's residence. Spenser with his supernatural intuition felt the bloodline of the Toy Maker.

He took Kirsty in his arms and went aside from the road slightly limping.


	6. Drawings

**Chapter 6. Drawings.**

- Mommy, you didn't sleep again the whole night?

A woman shivered but than, casting a glance of tired eyes on her son, gave a sigh of relief.

- No, Jack. I woke up a minute ago just to drink a glass of milk. Why are you awake? It's too early to get up.

- Well, I need to visit some interesting place. – the young man smiled. – and then I'll go to sleep again and advice you to do the same!

- Of course, dear. – Bobby put the glass down and when her son went upstairs, looked at the window. And suddenly her heart gave a start.

A tired man in was strolling to her house. He could barely walk as he was holding an unconscious woman in his arms. Bobby felt that he was going to come up to her door and ask for help, so she didn't wait and ran to open the door.

- What's happened, sir? – exclaimed Mrs. Merchant, coming out of the house.

- Please…she's wounded….we need your help.

Bobby ran to him, trying to help him to hold his burden, but she saw and the woman was bleeding.

- Please, come inside, the sofa will be on your left in the corridor, bring her there. I'll go and fetch a first-aid kit.

At hearing this, Elliot stopped for a moment. He felt ashamed and embarrassed to accept help from this woman and widowed because of him. But Kirsty needed help and he could find the thing he needed to defeat hell right in this house. He had to come in.

….

- Oh….. – Kirsty's head felt like splitting in two, she could barely open her eyes and couldn't see anything for some time, but than her sight returned. She saw that she was lying on the big sofa in a cosy room. Right in front of the sofa, near the cupboard she saw Elliot, whose eyes were searching for something.

- Elliot – she called his in a quiet voice.

He turned around at once and approached her. His eyes were restless as if they asked "How are you?"

- I had a dream….I was a little girl…we returned from a walk with my dad…I was so tired that he took me in his arms…all as before, in better days…

She didn't know why she was telling him all these stuff, perhaps she just wanted to express herself as she had pleasant dreams too rarely. Her frequent visitors were nightmares.

Elliot smile in a strange way and put his hand on her forehead, as if trying to find out, whether she had a fever:

- We're at the place. The hostess thinks, we've got into the car crash.

Kirsty looked at her bandaged shoulder - judging from the color of it, her wounds were disinfected with a iodine.

- What's now?

- We have to find the drawings. They won't give them to us just like that. We'll have to search the house…

- And how are you going to do it?

- Just keep them busy for 10 minutes, it won't take long.

At that moment a woman aged 45-47 came into the room holding a glass of water in her hand.

- Oh, I see you came to senses. That's good. Would you like some water…?

- Kirsty. He's Elliot. Yes, the water would be nice.

When Kirsty took the glass, a young man about 17 years old entered after her.

- I called an ambulance; they'll come in half an hour.

Elliot raised his eyes on the lad. Yes, it was him – that little boy that he used as a live bait persuading his father to open the gateway to hell. He's changed. No more plump cheeks, his features sharpened, his hair was cut short. Yes, he remembered how endearingly he stroked his hair, teasing his frightened mother. He remembered the nightmares that he wanted to this innocent immature child. Elliot blinked several times to get rid of unpleasant memories.

- Are you all right, mister?

- That's nothing. I'm ok. I need to go to the bathroom.

- Jack, show him the way.

- Yes, mom. This way, please.

It wasn't in Spenser's plan. On the one hand he understood these people – after all the fears that they survived they wouldn't allow a stranger to walk round their house just like that. He had to get rid of the boy.

Jack brought him to the bathroom:

- Here it is.

Elliot entered and closed the door behind him. He turned on the water and listened – Jack continued to stand on the outside. "Damn you, go somewhere at last!" – Elliot started getting angry and it scared him as Pinhead could gain power over him again in the house of this family.

- Jack, come here! – He heard his mother's voice. His shadow moved and heard the steps on the stairs. He left. Elliot gave a sigh but didn't turn off the water. He tiptoed out of the bathroom and went to the first room he found.

…..

- Kirsty, what happened to you? We have a nice road here, we rarely have accidents.

- Something happened to the brakes…the car was old… - she answered in a trembling voice being afraid that her "myth" won't repeat those that could have been told by Elliot to the hostess before.

- I see. I always thought that nothing good could be expected of old and second-hand things. Glad you've managed to get out.

- And didn't brake out necks. We got lucky, thanks for your help.

- Don't worry. I used to be a doctor and my conscience won't let me not to help a person in trouble. We live in the uptown, so if I didn't let you in, you would have to go miles to the nearest house.

"What a nice woman. Such people are rare and far between. And we're going to rob her...Our life is one bad joke".

…

Elliot looked around in the room of Merchant's widow and couldn't find anything. Not a hint that something connected with hell could be held in this room/

He thew a short glance at the bedside cabinet and saw a picture of Merchant's family: Bobby, Jack and John looked like in his memories. He still remembered this family, frightened and shocked wandering along the dark corridor. He strolled after them feeling their fear and despair. Even when they ran to the joint corridor he only broke into laughter. He knew perfectly well that these mortals won't run too far…

Spenser felt not at ease to stay here and he went to the nursery.

…

- I'll go and check….

- Ew, wait! Wait, boy, please!

Jack looked at his guest.

- You see, I want to try to walk. Perhaps I've got fracture or displacement, could you hold my shoulders when I'll try to rise?

- Okay, miss.

- If you won't mind I'll make a tea. – Mrs. Merchant said with a proud smile.

"Hey, Elliot, what are doing off there?" – Kirsty thought, when the boy helped her to rise from the sofa.

….

Elliot was in despair. Nothing. He checked everywhere – nothing. "Could she put it to the cellar or attic?" – he sat on the bed. He jumped off at once, thinking that he forgot to check under the bed.

He looked under the bed and gave a start back. It seemed to him for a moment that John Merchant's head was under it….no…only a baseball ball. "Pull yourself together" – Elliot ordered himself, fumbling under the bed.

….

- How do you like the tea?

- Thanks, very tasty. You make it great.

- Well, if you'd been working for 13 years in the café, you'll learn to make it great. – Bobby grinned. – How's your feet?

- Great, nothing, all bones at it's place, now I can dance at the discos! – Kirsty laughed insincerely.

- Glad for you.

Kirsty looked around in the room.

- Wait, where's your son?

- He went to check your friend. He's been there for a long time.

"Damn it!"

…..

Elliot pulled out a dusty box. "Toy Soldiers" was written on it. Hardly had he tried to pull the box back when he noticed that there was something inside that sounded in a different way than just toys. Yes, certainly, drawings, now Elliot knew that for sure. Suddenly he heard some breath behind him. He looked around and saw bewildered Jack.

…

- Kirsty, you won't mind, let me take your cardigan and sweater? Both of them are in such a state, that I wouldn't meet doctors in them. I can wash a cardigan, but sweater is definitely out of usage.

- Hm…perhaps you're right.

- Don't worry I'll give you something from my clothes. I have several things that are too tight for me, but for you they will be quite ok.

- You're so kind…thank you again. – Kirsty started to pull off blooded and dusty sweater, when the puzzle box flew out of it's inner pocket on the floor.

Silence broke out.

- Wh….where… - Merchant's widow pointed at the box. – did you get this?

Kirsty looked at her and gulped.

- Where did you get this damn thing, I ask you?

- I'll explain everything…

But Bobby didn't listen and rushed to the table. Kirsty stood paralyzed when Merchant's widow grabbed the gun.

- I don't know who you are…I know nothing about your companion, but if you don't leave thing house right now, doctors would have to get two corpses from here!

- Calm down, just calm down…

- Shut up! Call your friend and get out of here!

- Put away the gun, Bobby Merchant, or your son will get hurt!

Both women turned to the stairs. Elliot stood here holding a boy and keeping scissors at his throat.

- Jack… - the woman breath out.

- I said put away the gun!

- Elliot, what are you doing? Set him free!

That's ok, Kirsty, I found what we needed…Bobby, nobody would get hurt, if you put away the gun and let us go.

- Mommy!

- That's ok, son. Listen you, lunatic, set my child free and you can go with your friend wherever you want to.

- Sorry, Bobby, I know you too well. Blinded with fear, you can do anything. So your son is going to say with me by now.

Elliot with his hostage was stepping back to the door.

- Elliot, you can't be serious! – Kirsty didn't like what was happened. One thing was to rob this family. But taking a hostage? Threatening to kill an innocent boy? Either Elliot went nuts, or it wasn't Elliot at all.  
- Why are you standing, Kirsty? Open the door and run.

- Ok. – Kirsty took the puzzle box and ran to the door as her acking feet allowed her. – but if something would happen to this kid, I swear I'll kill you with my own hands and I wouldn't care whom of you two was to blame!

Elliot stood in the doorway and lessened the grip.

- I took something from you, Mrs. Merchant. These things can help to improve everything. Save thousands of innocent lives. I'm terribly sorry for what I did to your husband and I promise – nothing of the same kind would happen to anybody since.

Bobby put away the gun, her hands were shaking…only now she understood who was in her house right now. Only when she did it, Elliot pushed the boy to his mother and slammed the door behind him.

He caught up Kirsty and grabbed her by the hand, trying to help her to run faster. Both of them felt that the door would open and bullets would follow their backs. But nothing happened, nobody followed them. None of human kind at least. In a hurry they failed to notice a pair of sparkling yellow eyes in the bushes.


	7. A Dead End

**Chapter**** 7****. A Dead End.**

Kirsty and Elliot nearly fell on the first bench that came across. Lacking their breath, they rubbed their aching feet.

- What a hard night. – first words that Kirsty could say when she calmed down. Elliot said nothing, only seized his head with his hands and stooped as preparing for hard blows.

- Elliot…

- Kirsty, please, don't!

- I won't blame you, I promise. Just tell me what's happened.

Elliot only mumbled.

- Listen, I need to know in what situation Pinhead can posses your mind. And how he can influence your behavior.

- I could have killed him. – Elliot was speaking so silently that Kirsty had to bend to him to hear what he was saying. – I wanted to kill him. I was angry. I wanted to see his blood. And enjoy the sufferings of his mother. But most of all I wanted…

The silence fell.

- What? What did you want?

Elliot put his hands off his face and looked straight in Kirsty's eyes.

- I wanted you to enjoy them too.

- I…

- But you called me. I looked into your eyes and understood that what was happening in that house couldn't make you happy and it upset me too. When you promised to kill me if I do any harm to this boy, I understood what horrible thing I could have done.

The last words Elliot pronounced in a trembling voice, he was nearly crying. Kirsty turned around – she didn't know what to do, what to say, what to think about…

- I'm a monster…

- At least you became one beyond you will… five souls lie heavy on my conscience. You fight with your dark side, I got used to mine.

Elliot looked at her with some bewilderment.

- You're not… it's because of Pinhead.

- Don't shift the weight of the world on his shoulders! I offered him a bargain myself. Myself! Nobody made me do it! I told him that I'll give five souls at his disposal.

- They were all sinners.

- Yes, but it doesn't make me innocent. What's more disgusting – I let myself living further, but I'll never make my hands clean off their blood. Who is monster here – is the person who feels no remorse for her deeds! God is my witness – if I was at that time again, if I was given a choice – I'll accept the bargain again!

Tears were in her eyes. Elliot took her by the hand gently. They were sitting in complete silence in the dawn sunlight, linking their hands and staring at the ground. Demon and a serial killer. An old soldier who lost his meaning of life and a little terrified girl in the body of a grown-up woman, who got lost in vices on this world…

- There is one thing I cannot understand. Why he agreed to that bargain? He told himself that he wanted my soul. And suddenly, without any hesitations agreed to set me free for only five souls…there must be some other reasons for this…

Elliot left hold of her hand and turned away, he didn't want her to see his ashamed eyes. Of course, he knew the reason why Pinhead let her go than. There was nothing to do with the bargain. There was a reason that he wasn't ready to tell Kirsty, perhaps some other day…

- What's your pleasure, gentlemen? – they heard malicious voice behind their back.

Hardly had Elliot managed to push Kirsty off the bench when the next moment something awfully heavy attacked him. This "something" collapsed the bench with it's weight and many wooden chips pierced Spencer's back. Actually The Guardian of the Puzzle Box could easily bite off his head, rip off his heart, or simply crush with his weight, but he was ordered to find Spencer and bring him back but not to find and kill. On the other hand he wasn't told, in what condition the victim supposed to be bright back so The Guardian could have some fun…

Spencer yelled when I huge claw started tearing the skin off his forehead. He tried to push the monster away, but he failed – the dragon's weight was much bigger. The creature clinked his jaws – and Elliot's shirt was torn apart. Naked Elliot's chest showed the panorama of roughly darned scars – the signs of Engineer's precise work. The Guardian put his clawed paw a bit lower and started cutting this stitches opening the wounds. Blood off Elliot's forehead gathered in his mouth and he angrily spit it into monster's bony snout. The dragon hissed, grabbed the victim on his side and started taking flight.

Kirsty knew that it was useless trying to fight this creature but it didn't mean that she couldn't help Elliot. Hardly had the dragon tried to take flight, when Kirsty took a run and jumped catching Spencer by his feet. The Guardian failed to keep both people with one paw so he let go. Both fell to the ground.

- Run! Run now! – Kirsty screamed helping Elliot to get on his feet.

The Guardian made a circle in the air and gave a start towards the prey.

- Aside!

They jumped in different sides, dragon's claws scraped the ground. He rose into the air trying to attack once again.

- Hide, we're here an easy target!


	8. The Beginning of the Way

**Chapter ****8****. The Beginning of the Way.**

Father Peterson nearly got rid of the nightmares. He should never have thought that he'll turn to the psychiatrist but as it turned out, his pieces of advice were quite useful – when he left the megapolis, had a rest in the nature and fresh air, he felt much better. His local parish was much smaller than usual, but at least he won't see some crazy punk (or what they were called, Peterson didn't know) breaking into his clean and peaceful church and destroying it to the ground. Anyway (Peterson reassured himself) he was some kind of a junkie, devil is a metaphor in the Bible, nothing more.

Finally pastor finished writing his Sunday's sermon and was to go home and spend the evening with a bottle of whiskey, when suddenly the doors of the church opened and two people dropped in: a woman in rugs, with tangled dark hair and restless eyes and awfully injured man, bending on her shoulder.

- Holy father, please, help us! – the woman cried, and pastor's look fell over some object in her hand and something gave a start in his heart – he seemed to have seen this patterned cube before.

- Of course, my child, only tell me what's happened? – pastor tried to be polite but thought that appearing of these strangers won't do him any good.

- We're followed, we need to hide somewhere. – the woman was dragging her companion to the altar, grasping the box and drawings in her hand.

- Maybe it's better to call the police? I'll call them right now.

Pastor rushed to the door, trying to get rid of these crazy visitors – he had enough of weird people that visited his last time.

- Don't bother, they won't help. – man's voice echoed in the church loudly, although the church was small and the acoustics was bad. – We won't stay here for a long time.

- I'll call anyway, maybe they'll…

The noise of something heavy breaking through the door didn't let his to finish the phrase.

- Kirsty, open the box, I'll keep this bastard for some time. – the man stood up, and strolled to the door despite his awful wounds.

- Open this? Why? – Kirsty didn't trust the moment; as she knew that opening of the box could possible bring any disaster.

- Seventh page, the system of inner mirrors, bring it to the surface from the diamond shape.

- Do what? – if Elliot thought that she understood it, he was mistaken.

- Just do it! He'll be here any moment!

- Who will be here? Who? – Peterson disliked this situation greatly besides it seemed to him that he could have seen this man before.

- HE! – Spencer pointed at the broken door.

Disgusting dragon was standing in the high doorway. The creature put it's horned snout into the church, than, suddenly torn out one of it's ribs and threw into Elliot as if it was some spear. Spencer dodged a blow, now his reaction was perfect and the huge bone pierced several church benches.

- No, no it's cannot be! Not again! – the priest's voice turned into a squeal.

- Come here, you, Beast! – Spencer's voice made windows rattle and candles went out.

Peterson recognized his voice – this voice he'll never forget in his life.

- YOU! Again? What do you want from me? – the priest lost his ties with reality, his nightmares came alive and now overflew his conscience. – Good Lord, show me the way…

Spenser turned to him, now there was no wounds on his face – only a net of straight, event scars. They covered his dead white skin, his deep black eyes of a demon – not of a man narrowed, as if he smiled to somebody inside his soul.

- I told you, priest, I am the Way.

The dragon howled, his rib grew back, new bones appeared again forming the new bone, he rushed at Spencer, breaking the part of the church's wall, that prevented him from entering the doorway.

- Elliot, I'm not sure how to do it. – Kirsty's hands shook, the puzzle box won't start.

From Elliot's side there was no answer, now he enjoyed to possibility of the new battle.

- Oh shit – have to do it my way. – Kirsty had no choice. – if Elliot will be Pinhead again the earth is awaiting greater disaster than just death. Dragon rushed into attack. Spencer burst into laughter, chains breaking stained-glass windows to pieces caught the dragon's body, but it didn't prevent the monster from catching the opponent.

- Oh God, keep my soul for I'm godly! – Peterson was moaning in the corner.

The dragon threw itself forward, breaking altar with Elliot's body when Kirsty put the last piece of the puzzle box at it's place.

The flash of blue light consumed her the very moment and vanished, leaving only the empty church, broken to pieces, with broken windows and a terrified priest, who finally came to believe in Devil.


	9. A Failure

**Chapter 9. A Failure.**

Kirsty slowly opened her eyes and stared at the wooden floor under her. She felt such a storm in her stomach, that any movement could twist it. Suddenly Elliot moaned somewhere near her. Kirsty tried to move and turn around searching where he was, but it was very hard in the deep dusk. Alarming thought struck her – they were no more in the church, but not in hell (thank god!), but in some dark place with crappy furniture like wooden barrels and chests.

Rising to her feet Kirsty instinctively bent on the nearest barrel, but perhaps too much as the barrel moved aside. At hearing the splash inside she took a handful of water, thinking it can help her to overcome the sickness. She regretted that, as the water that she splashed in her face had an awful taste and smelled like sewage. Kirsty kept from vomiting and picked up the nearest duster to wipe her face, but threw it away at seeing that several rats were sleeping under it. They woke up and ran away, as they had now no shelter.

- Wherever we are, the hosts of this place know nothing about "sanitation"!

- Kisty… - Elliot groaned somewhere near.

- I'll be right now! – trying not to fell over the mess in the room Cotton went to the sound of his voice.

Elliot was lying on the floor. To her greatest surprise, the battle with the bony abomination left no injuries on his body. She didn't know, whether he used the power of Pinhead or the puzzle box, but she could inly envy his regeneration abilities. She just didn't know that he felt much worse than she – all his body was burning with pain, his mouth was so dry that he could hardly speak.

- Water…

- Sorry, this water here can be used like poison…

- Water…

- All right, all right, I'll see what I can do…

She came up to another barrel – it was much smaller – and opened its lid. "There must be good water!" – she bend over the barrel and sniffed it. But for the smell of the barrel itself, the water didn't stink. She jumped of joy, took the nearest wooden mug, scooped some fluid from the barrel and gave to Elliot. He drank it with one breath but after stopped dead with a mad face.

- Kirsty…don't think that I'm too demanding but couldn't you find something except rum?

- RUM? – Kirsty didn't manage to understand what she heard when she felt something heavy on her foot. She saw the huge rat trying to climb up her leg and yelped. She struck the grey creature with her boot, the rodent floated in the air and hit himself on the wooden basket that made several mops fall down. It was a great rattle.

Elliot giggled. He had no intention to laugh at Kirsty, but something, to be precise, somebody inside him was quite amused with her clumsiness and childish fear for rats. Suddenly the light lit the room.

- Las ratas malditas! ("Goddamn rats!")

Elliot and Kirsty turned over and saw a figure standing in doorway, which opened so unexpectedly. The figure saw them too, cried out something they couldn't understand and disappeared.

- Oops… - that's what Kirsty could say.

…

- En el barco es a muchísimas ratas, y muchos de ellos a la de la dimensión con la gata. ¡Pero hoy a nosotros se ha dejado coger dos especialmente grandes copias! (There are lots of rats on the ship, and many of them are a size of a cat. But today we've got two especially big examples!)

– a tall man was telling the captain when four people were dragging Elliot and Kirsty to the deck.

If Kirsty didn't fell pain from these strong hands she could have thought, she saw some crazy dream. Really, she saw demons, the living dead, wandered round the hell, but if somebody told her that she'd see real Caribbean pirates, she would have called him a madman. But now she could see clearly that the deck she was dragged to wasn't a cinema set and men in rags and pistols of the 17th century were obviously far from chic-dressed actors.

- El capitán, nosotros interrogarlos primero o en seguida dejar por el bordo? (Captain, interrogate them or heave overboard at once?)

Kirsty couldn't understand a word of what he was saying but the man in black with a scar over his face was the boss here – that was obvious. And their lives now depended on what he was going to say.

- Elliot, what shall we do? – she whispered, but one of the pirates twisted her wrist harder.

- Callar! (Shut up!)

When Kirsty bit her lip trying not to show she was in pain, Eliot tried to get free at once.

- Let her go, you, barbarians!

And got a hit between his ribs with the butt of the rifle.

- Anglishmen? - the captain turned to the captives into broken English.

Both of them gave a nod.

- Esto es interesante ya (That's interesting!) – the captain said with a smile.

Perhaps Elliot failed to understand what they were saying but what he knew for sure was that they jumped in time further than they planned and he had to do something before they weren't send to feed the fish. But what he could do? He could get angry and allow Pinhead to overcome his mind – but it was good for the same monsters as he was, but for ordinary people. Even if they were as bad as monsters. They would be lucky to return to the hold where the box was lying – they could return back…

- Que los ingleses han olvidado en mi barco? (and how come that Englishmen appeared on my ship?)

- Sorry, I don't speak Italian.

- They must be Spanish – Elliot whispered to Kirsty, she only cast a speaking glance at him – what was the difference?

- Perdemos solamente a ellos el tiempo. Más vale tirarlos por el bordo! (We only waste out time! Let's heave them overboard!) – the tall man turned to the captain again, he must have been some kind of a boatswain, Kirsty didn't know for sure.

Without any answer, the pirates caught the captives again and were ready to heave them any moment.

- Esperen! (Wait!)

Captain went down the steps and approached Kirsty.

- Será una pena dar a los peces a tal mujer hermosa. (Such a pity to feed fishes with such a beautiful woman) – he said with a smile.

He took her by her chin, but she turned away. He burst into laughter.

- Bien. Vinculen y cierren a estos dos en la bodega. Debo saber tanto como para que han penentrado al barco. Pasaremos el interrogatorio en seguida como acabaremos la partición. (All right – tie them up and lock in the hold. I must know how they got on my ship. We'll interrogate them when we finish dividing shares).

While pirates were tying their hands Kirsty tried not to fell unconscious, as the smell of rotten fish and sweat under the burning sun made her sick. Trying to concentrate on something, she noticed the pirate sitting aside, with a carpet in front of him where she saw different coins, jewels and other stuff. This gang must have robbed somebody rich before they discovered her and Elliot, and now they distracted them from sharing. But there was something, that the pirate tried to open in vain and it attracted Kirsty's attention. It looked like a woman box for keeping jewelry, but it wasn't just a box. Suddenly her heart gave a start…

Elliot couldn't keep from smiling – he thought everything was ok. They'll be locked in the hold where he could distract the wardens while Kirsty could use a puzzle box.

But his plan failed. The sitting pirate yelled something and raised the box for everybody could see it. Elliot's heart gave a start too – the patterns on the box seemed rather familiar…Lament Configuration. His eyes widened with fear, same as the eyes of all the crew. The lightings came out of the box, the sky was overcast with black clouds and the storm burst into rattle.

Three lightnings that struck the deck didn't burn it – no, there was something worse. They turned into three human-like figures – three monsters…

- No, no, nooo! – Elliot felt weak in his knees.

- Diós mío! (My God!) – sounded from all the sides.

Well, Kirsty used to see various kinds of cenobites of various stages on ugliness – but these three were incomparable! One of them was a man, with blades installed in his elbows, but it wasn't all! He had no head. Frankly speaking, there was a head, but it was somehow "conserved" in a glass jar filled with some liquid, the jar itself was hanging on the chains, applied to the shoulders. Second cenobite was a woman, with awful pink-colored skin, face with no nose, steel claws on each finger, though her left arm was torn off and installed in her head in such a way, that these claws came through her mouth and went out of her skull at the back of her head. The third was both man and woman…his right part was male and left was female, as if some evil fantasy stitched together (well, why "as if?") half of a man's and woman's body. This hermaphrodite was most disgusting…

- You opened the box, now you're to go with us. – Hermaphrodite pronounced with two voices at once.

The pirates glanced at each other and opened fire at cenobites. Of course, the bullets did no harm to them, although they torn their garments and spilt their blood – the monsters were just standing and chuckling, if it could be called so. One of the bullets struck the "jar" of the Headless cenobite, ricocheted from it and killed the pirate that was holding Kirsty. Kirsty cried and started to Elliot. He was standing on his knees, and looked at cenobites, shocked… she pushed him with her elbow trying to bring him to senses, but he only looked at her with bewildered eyes:

- It's wrong…they're not supposed to be here.

- We have to get out of here!

- This box, I though…

- Do you hear me? Let's run!

The shooting stopped. Cenobites stood as if nothing happened.

- You must go with us! – Hermaphrodite repeated.

As if they were commanded to, two cenobites rushed from their place to the future victims. Pirates mad from fear ran in different sides. The boatswain grabbed the saber and tried to hit the Headless on his "head" but the cenobite only caught the blade, broke it, caught the pirate with his other hand and threw his to the box. A dozen of chains flew out of the box and started entangling the ship like a tentacles of a great quid. One-handed female cenobite was just waving her hand and cut hands, legs, noses and ears of anybody on her way. Hardly had anybody felt on the floor, the chains dragged his away. Hermaphrodite looked from side to side, his male part watched the process carefully, female part smiled.

- To the hold! Now! - Kirsty cried louder than it was needed.

Hermaphrodite turned to her and both of sides of his face frowned. He felt that the sould of this woman had been marked by hell, as if she saw it not once, but it just couldn't be. Those who summoned cenobites couldn't return from hell, how could she stay alive? But what did it mean now? If she belonged to hell – there was her place.

Cenobite approached Kirsty that was shouting at Elliot trying to bring him to senses, and was so busy that she didn't notice when he caught her hand:

- You'll go with us too!

- I didn't summon you!

- You're marked. You're to go with us! – and he pushed her to the Headless cenobite, that grabbed her into his suffocatingly tight "embrace".

- Let her go. – Elliot pronounced in a calm, loud voice, rising from his knees.

Three cenobites stared at him with some interest.

- This woman belongs to me. Let her go and go where you belong.

- You, mortal, dare to order us? – Hermaphrodite proclaimed maliciously.

Eliot's face twisted with rage, but was any mortal face supposed to become purple with anger, his face went deadly pale.

- You dare to call me mortal? Mind your words, warrior, or you'll pay for that!

- How dare you threat us?

- Me? I'm favorite son of Leviathan! Arch cenobite! Prince of pain! It's you, who obeys me! And I order you – let her go!

- How dare you call yourself Leviathan's son? He had no son! You, impostor will pay that you stood in Hell's way!

Hermaphrodite waved his man's hand, the huge chain flew off the box and started at Elliot's direction. Spencer didn't move and the hook stopped in some centimeters from his face. He nodded and the chain flew back into the box. Cenobites nearly gave a surprised sigh, they never met anything like that before.

- Cenobites are not supposed to fight; I give you the last chance to leave.

Kirsty caught the blade that was hanging on the wrist of a Headless cenobite – no matter, would the cenobite listen to Elliot or not, she had to get rid of the ropes she was tied with. She wasn't careful enough – she cut her hand and a cenobite reacted like a shark – he grabbed her so powerfully that could have broken her neck. She yelled with pain and Elliot (or Pinhead?) turned his look at her and than at the Headless. His eyes became deep black and she could swear, she saw several pins in his hair. He bared his teeth and roared:

- I SAID SHE'S MINE!

Chains holding the head of a cenobite screeched. Cenobite let Kirsty go, and started touching them – he couldn't understand what was happening. Elliot waved his hands, tore the ropes that tied him and the chains of the Headless broke. A jar with his head fell on the floor and than the whole body… One-handed female cenobite gave an unpleasant gurgling sound that supposed to mean the shout of anger and rushed towards Spencer. Several chains flew off the deck, she managed to cut several, but others flew again and one of them pierced her shoulder and another cut her left cheek to her skull. Elliot enjoyed the agony of his opponent, when he didn't notice that Hermaphrodite attacked him.

- Watch out! – yelled Kirsty.

Elliot could hardly react on this attack, he moved aside from the blade, that only cut his trouser leg but missed the blow to his chin. Felling blood from his broken lip, he went into such a rage that the deck started moving from side to side, plank ratteled, chain flew out all over the place. Hermaphrodite really managed to miss several blows and cut several chains, but he couldn't stand the attack and the ship too.

- Elliot, stop! You'll drown the ship!

Spencer didn't react.

- Do you hear me? Stop, please! We're in the open sea.

Who knows if Elliot react to her words, if the water at the side of the ship didn't start boiling and making a terrifying noise. Everything stopped: chains, planks and pirates. All three – Elliot, Kirsty and Hermaphrodite turned to the source of this noise. Something flew off the water.

Oh no…it's you again. – Kirsty's voice was upset, but didn't sound frightened.

Hermaphrodite looked at the dragon with some bewilderment. He (she?) couldn't understand what the Guardian could have forgotten at this ship, and the dragon, without any words just sat on the side of the boat and started pushing it with all the weight of its body. The ship started sinking.

- Gosh…this bastard wants to drown us!

- Kirsty, go the hold, now! – Elliot said in inhuman voice.

He needn't have told it twice. She ran as fast as she could leaving behind cut chains and human limbs.

Hermaphrodite understood pretty well than the situation got nasty and grabbed One-handed female and rushed to the box, where both vanished.

Kirsty ran into the hold and searched the floor where the box and drawings should have been. Feeling danger the rats went from side to side preventing her from seeing the box, so Kirsty grabbed the mob and started pushing them away. At least she saw her goal near one of the barrels.

The ship nearly laid on it's side, objects from the deck started falling into the sea. Elliot called the chain and was hanging on it like on the rope. Kirsty was searching the surface of the box trying to make her solve. The mast cracked and started falling. Dragon roared with joy, tore a cannon and threw it at him. But before it reached the goal, blue flashes of light appeared in the air and absolutely empty ship sank like a stone…


	10. No turning back!

**Chapter ****10****. No turning back!**

Kirsty gave a sigh of relief, when she understood that they were in church again. Well, at least on the ruins of the church. It was totally dark, greater part of the church walls were wound with sticky tape with letters "Keep out". "We seem to have been absent for the whole day" – Kirsty wondered, she thought that the box would return them to the right time and place, when they vanished, but now it was of no importance – they were safe. Perhaps.

She heard steps behind her back and turned around in fear, but there was no reason for this – Elliot stood behind her back.

- How are you?

- Tired. I've got a headache. Not worse than usual.

- We need to have rest somewhere… gather our strength.

- Why not? I have nothing against…

….

Watching both of them from the roof of the church, The Guardian saw them off. Unfortunately he had to give up his hunting for several houres. He had an order – the Prince of Pain needed some time…He didn't know why…the Hell might have got some new plan to return Elliot back without his help – and it made him really upset, in human sense of this word. But who dares to argue with Leviathan? And The Guardian didn't mean to. All he could do was just to wait, when his services would be in need. He felt some movement in the attic, jumped and caught a crawling spider with his hand, which became human again. He ate it at once.

"M…jammy! Tastes like grasshopper!"

….

What is the difference between a city shop and a country? The country shops are much smaller and service and variety is smaller. But what is greatest – nobody guards them at night. Little shops cannot afford cameras and security, so only locks can save them. But no locks are obstacles when you're with a boyfriend-half-demon (Kirsty chuckled at herself "Wait a minute – since what time Elliot is supposed to be my boyfriend?") and lately you've been watching only criminal news – so alarm system won't be an obstacle too.

This shop was little – greater part was a grocery, bakery and conditioners in one hall. Kirsty's childish dream came true – get in the shop and steal whatever she wanted – all for free. But for the lack of a microwave, they had to eat only cold food. It didn't embarrass her, that they were practically robbing this shop – anyway, both of them were destined to Hell, so it won't add so much to their sins.

Watching Elliot amused her greatly – he ate so slowly as if he was afraid that the food would bite him. What amused her most was that this man in rugged clothes which now was emptying the jar of peanut oil was Pinhead himself. By the way – as for the rugs…Kirsty remembered she had seen a stand with Halloween costumes somewhere here.

- Elliot, what so you think about a little shopping?

Spencer interrupted his dinner and looked at her in wide-eyed astonishment.

- To get new clothes, I mean. We look like vagabonds, soon we'll look so shabby what people will give us alms. – Kirsty tried to make jokes for him to feel at ease.

Elliot looked at his sneakers and trousers, torn to pieces and gave a nod. He took the first thing his eyes fell upon and looked at her.

- Oh yes. Redress at the cashier, ok?

He nodded again and started to the cashier. She followed him with her eyes – she needn't have been a telepathist to understand that he was upset. "I'll manage his problems later" – she approached the shelves and started choosing something for her.

Elliot was redressing but his thoughts were very far from here – he was thinking about what had happened to them. Okay, they mixed up the time (he couldn't understand why Kirsty failed to solve the puzzle box, drawings were in front of her eyes), and how did cenobites found them? What was this another box? Why did it work the same way as Lemarchand's puzzle box? He was absolutely sure that the Order of Gash was founded not earlier than in 18th century, when Lemarchand created the Puzzle Box and the Duke de L' Il summoned Angelique. But he saw them with his own eyes! He saw this box! And he knew for sure that it was somewhat a century before Le Merchant's birth! It means that…

Elliot distracted from his thoughts, when he fully dressed, except the white mask. He looked at it for a moment, tore a label from the cloak and read: "The Phantom of the Opera costume. 75.00 $".

Kirsty was outraged. All these riff-raff of fairies, angels, vampires with low-necked dresses and miniskirts certainly were not comfortable at all, cold and not for her lifestyle "not a moment without adventures and misfortunes". She gave up the idea of a dress and sighed:

"Well, Freddy Krueger's sweater is not what every woman is dreaming to dress, but at least it's comfortable and warm".

Elliot stood up from the cashier to share his ideas of what had happened and stopped as if struck with a lightning. At the very moment Kirsty put off her torn polo-neck sweater…

Elliot hid behind the cashier again and he pressed his hands to his face trying to think about anything but…unfortunately this moment was enough for the voice in his head:

- She's ripe, Elliot. Harvest time…

- Shut up! – Elliot whispered.

- You saw her yourself. She's like an exotic fruit, that get's ripe once a several decades. What shall we do? Look at it blankly or get it and enjoy it's precious nectar?

- Shut up! Shut up! Just shut up! – Elliot yelled, jumped to his feet and ran to the neighboring hall.

- Elliot? – she only managed to put on her sweater, she didn't know the reason why Elliot blew up but she rushed after him.

Elliot ran to the little corridor, ran into the toilet and locked the door after him. When he felt as if everything was left behind, he switched on the water and washed his face. He looked in the mirror and saw Pinhead's face instead of his own:

- Elliot, where are you running from yourself?

Elliot didn't say a word – he knew, there was no need to argue with his another half – Pinhead could manipulate people's mind pretty well.

- Why do you hate me? You're my creator, my father, my brother, you is me, I'm you. I never meant you any harm, on the contrary – I made your all wishes come true.

- I never meant any harm to people – Elliot objected.

- Still making a saint out of yourself? – Pinhead gave a grin. – But I know you pretty well. I know what you're dreaming about when you look at her.

As he said that Elliot heard knocking on the door and Kirsty's voice:

- Elliot! Elliot, what happened? Let me in!

- I'll never do her any harm!

- Me too. Let's just decorate her a little bit. More leather, metal and vanilla…she'll enjoy it no less than you, believe me.

- I…I..I'll never…

- If you still doubt, let me remind you, that you really felt lack of breath when that pretty journalist Joey was captured by chains and belts…

- Shut up! – Elliot struck the mirror with his hand, it broke but didn't make Pinhead stop.

- You remember…but it was just Joey, you didn't know her much. But now – imagine the same with Kirsty..

- She will never let you do this to her! She'll prefer eternal sufferings!

- You're mistaken. It's been a long time that she wishes to vanish somewhere out of this vicious world. People deceive her, only get benefit from her, she trusts no one…she wishes to love and be loved and we can do it. Your dream will come true too. Why refusing from this happy day for you both? Hell awaits, Elliot.

- No! no, no, no, no! – Elliot was breaking the mirror with his hand until it was all to pieces and his hand was all in blood.

Old lock on the door broke, Kirsty got inside. She looked shocked, looking at the broken glass and blood on the pieces of the mirror.

- Elliot? – she called him.

He didn't answer, he just sat on his knees, and outstretched the blooded hand in front of him and sobbed. She sat near him, tried to look him in the eye but he turned away. She looked at his injured hand and, not knowing what she was doing, took it in her palms. He shivered at her touch. She started taking glass out of his skin – Elliot didn't feel any pain, he was so consumed with what she was doing that he forgot to breathe. Now, after all he did to her, she was sitting near him and bandaging his wounds…he couldn't believe it was for real…

Kirsty raised her eyes from the wound. Only now she noticed the new costume he was wearing – this black cloak, black antique shirt, jabot…with his pale face it looked as if Elliot was an English aristocrat of the end of the 19th century, looking at her from an old portrait. He was so poetically handsome…Kirsty felt embarrassed for such thoughts…

So they were sitting together, looking straight in the eyes of each other.

- Elliot, don't do this anymore, please? Don't hurt yourself…

- I promise.

Spencer least expected what happened next. Kirsty hugged him!

- I don't want my near and dear to suffer…

Thoughts echoed in his head – "She's so beautiful…she didn't deserve all these…she should be happy, enjoy life and not wait for the hell to come after her. I won't give her to Hell!"

He will never let this happen. No regrets now – Pinhead and Leviathan are trying to confuse him, to make him weak and not sure of his strength. He will never give up – he'll change the past! For her! At any cost!

He hugged her back and said:

- Kirsty, I promise, by the end of tomorrow this nightmare will stop forever. Lemarchand will pay for all the evil that he brought to earth!

- We'll use the box again?

- Yes, and this time we'll succeed! We'll do it.


	11. Fury

**Chapter 1****1****. Fury.**

France. Outskirts of Paris. 18th century.

- Philip, I ready against your contacts with this duke….he's strange, you know, he scares me. He can involve you in something really dangerous.

- Jenevra, calm down, today I've finishing his order and bring the box to him tomorrow. And that's all! I won't meet him again.

- I hope so. My heart misgives me.

- Listen, he unpleasant to me as much as to you, but I have to right to chose my clients. And we need money too much. You're going to have a baby, and I have money only for food. You want our child to starve?

The woman looked at her big belly and shook her head.

- See. And the money I'm going to receive would be enough till the time our boy goes to school. – Philip bent over table to his wife and kissed her on the forehead. – what I want is my family to have enough money. Sorry, darling, today you're to sleep alone. I'll be in my workshop.

- All right, dear. Don't exhaust yourself and good luck.

- Sweet dreams to you and our boy. – Philip blew off the candle and went out of the little bedroom without noticing two people outside the window watching his every move.

…..

- Is that he?

- Yes. – Elliot answered abruptly.

- Are you sure?

- You don't believe me?

- No, I do…I just imagined him somewhat different.

Kirsty thought she was to see somebody like doctor Chennard, or some crazy member of the cult with various occult symbolics all over his house, but she should never have thought, that it would be rather sympathetic guy, and a family man.

- Listen, Kirsty, we're several steps from out goal so leave all doubts behind and trust me. – Elliot lowered his voice to some vicious whisper that made Kirsty shiver.

Both of them turned around, when some stooped old man passed them by – he greeted them with a nod and took off his hat. He greeted Elliot in French, but when his eyes met Kirsty, he blinked several times as if he tried to get rid of some hallucination he hurried away.

- What's the matter with him?

- Well, you know…it's the first time when he saw a woman in jeans, red and green sweater and with bare head. – Elliot gave a watery smile and rushed to the door. – So we'd better hurry if you don't want to attract more attention.

Spencer started at the door and it opened at his look. He entered and Kirsty hurried after him.

- Go and close the door in their bedroom only be quiet not to wake them up. And I'll ….

Elliot needn't have finished the phrase as he went to the firewood pile, behind which Kirsty could see the handle. She knew – it was an axe.

…..

Philip Lemarchand was sitting at his workshop table and finished his new creation. Needless to say, that he used all his knowledge and skill for this box – he didn't want some stupid mistake to spoil duke's mood and he could loose money too. But what was strange – the more he approached the finish of his work, the more he felt that it was far from just a cute trinket. Something strange, mystical and attractive was in it…Philip shook his head, got rid of fixed ideas and continued his work.

…..

Before she was to close the heavy lock on the door, Kirsty could get rid of the thought to look into the room. It was hard to see something in the dark, but the light was enough to see a peacefully sleeping young woman and a kid's bassinet near her bed. She warmed to this woman at once – she dreamed herself to have a babies, at least one child. She used to chose the name for this future little creature, dreamed to take care of him or her, bring up this helpless kid and listen to him calling her "mommy". Trevor didn't make it possible. This family was preparing to become parents – they can be worthy parent. But than Kirsty understood…there won't be any worthy parents. Tomorrow this woman will find her husband dead, and what's then? Nervous breakdown, miscarriage or preterm delivery, poverty…both of them will ruin the happy life of this family. Kirsty felt disgust towards herself, and towards what they were going to do…she closed the bedroom.

…..

Elliot was stading behind the doors of the workshop and peered inside the room.

"That's him, Elliot – he's to blame for everything. He's sitting here and crearing the gateways to hell as if it's just a trifle". – the voice inside his head whispered. – "and you're just standing and looking at him! Time to do it! You've survived so much, and the only thing left unchanged – go and kill him! Go there and split his skull!"

Elliot squeezed the handle but didn't move.

"And you DOUBT? Or you're afraid to spilt his blood? But you want to solve all your problems at once. Nothing's impossible. Only the solution is not always simple. Our hands are in blood up to the shoulders – the blood of innocent people. But he's NOT innocent! He's to blame for tortures, sufferings, pain and losses – not only your losses but thousands, many thousands of people. His death is the answer to everything, all you have to do is to kill him!"

Elliot was to rush in the doorway, when he felt Kirsty approaching him. She nodded at the door as if asking if those they came for was inside. Elliot nodded.

She looked him in the eye and some unpleasant feeling struck her. Something strange was happening to Elliot and she was unable to understand what it was. She put her hand on his shoulder, as if trying to ask if everything was all right, but he flicked her hand away. He was in two steps from his victim, and everything that could have prevented him from murder, made him furious. Even Kirsty…

"Anyway, if she doesn't like it, she's free not to watch." – the voice in his head added, as if "incidentally".

…

Philip was finishing the pattern. Amazing, but this thing turned out to be a real piece of art, so pretty and he was temped to hold it in his hands…the patterns glimmered in the candlelight, when he noticed some silhouette on one of it's sides. Somebody was standing behind him.

…..

Spencer raised the axe right above his head. He was only to place the blade on his head and everything will be changed.

"Come on! With all your effort! His brains will be all over the table. Spill his blood! Spill his blood! SPILL HIS BLOOD!"

Elliot swung his arm but…struck the table as Lemarchand had managed to escape the axe. The blade cut the table so deep that Elliot didn't manage to pull it back.

- Qui vous ? Que vous demandez ? (fr. Who are you? What do you want?) - Philip cried, stumbled over the bench and fell on the floor.

Elliot roared like a beast, regretting that he didn't manage to kill his victim with first struck. He pulled the axe for the second time, managed to pull it off and rushed at the toymaker. By some miracle, Lemarchand managed to catch the handle – but could it help? His opponent was much stronger so the blade was approaching his chest. Philip could do nothing but scream.

- Par le chemin qu'est arrivé ? (fr. Dear, what's happened?) – his wife's worried voice sounded from the bedroom.

Elliot distracted for a moment, he forgot that Kirsty had locked the bedroom door so his wife could come inside and spoil everything. This distraction was enough for the Frenchmen to escape the blade and attacked Spencer. But Elliot's answer was quick – he grabbed his by his throat and hit against the wall. The shelf on the wall fell down, so Lemarchand grabbed some tool and rushed at the stranger again. This time Elliot missed the blow and the screwdriver stuck deep in his shoulder. He yelled when the voice in his head roared:

"He injured you! He spilt your blood! Spilt his blood as an answer. Now!"

Philip rushed to the door, trying to get to the bedroom, and escape from the house with his wife but some strange woman stood in his way.

Kirsty and Philip for a moment stood in front of each other. She had a little knife in her hand and she could easily use it. But she couldn't. She saw pain, fear and despair in his eyes – there was nothing she could hate him for.

- Kirsty, don't let him escape!

As if against her will she still struck a blow and a Frenchman yelled in pain and fell against the wall, holding the bleeding wound. Elliot was right after him – he clutched his throat and looked at Kirsty.

- Good girl. – he told her in approving tone.

Kirsty looked at the blooded blade in her hand, still unable to believe that she did it.

Elliot pulled the screwdriver from his injured shoulder and waved it in some vicious tone in front of Lemarchand's face.

"He didn't deserve fast death. Make him suffer!"

Following the order of his inner voice, Elliot stuck the device in the Frenchman's shoulder and started twisting it as deep in the flesh as he could.

- No, Elliot – what are you doing? – Kirsty cried.

Elliot didn't answer only smiled maliciously, and twisted the device again. Lemarchand's blood was running though his fingers and it brought him real pleasure…

- If you want to kill him, do it! But don't torture him!

- But it's much more interesting…

- What? – Kirsty lacked breath as she understood that it was not Elliot she was talking to. He couldn't have enjoyed sufferings of other people and could want to injure somebody. It was Pinhead! But why should he wish for Lemarchand's death? The gateway to hell won't appear, same as he. What did he want than?

- Elliot, stop! You're loosing yourself. He orders you!

Spencer gave no answer only took axe in his hands again. Kirsty ran up to him:

- Elliot, do you hear me? Stop it, please!

"Hit him now, don't pay attention to this girl! Just kill him."

- Stop it! Put away the axe!

"Spill the blood – lose your soul, come on!"

- Shit! – Kirsty caught the box in her hands and hit Elliot on the face as hard as she could.

Spencer let the Frenchman go and the same moment felt on the floor. But before she could do anything else, strong man's hands caught her and threw her against the wall.

- How dare you? – Elliot's black eyes sparked with fury. – How dare you interfere?

- Elliot…it's not you... – Kirsty tried to say something else, but caught a heavy slap on her face.

- I thought you wanted to stop this nightmare as I do!

- I want…yes, Elliot I dream this nightmare could stop. But not at such a price! Look that you've become. It's not you!

Spencer looked at his palms – as if only now he realized that they were all in blood – human blood.

- He wants you to murder him – more spots on your conscience. Once he succeeded – when I was you. But you have to be stronger than me! Look around and tell you whom you hate more – this unlucky boy or somebody inside your soul?

His thought confused – one his part wanted Kirsty to shut up and not to interfere in this business, but another part was ready to run as far as he could. He considered that Lamerchand was guilty, but at the same time he understood that he could make everything worse. He felt disgust towards this blood on his hands, he remembered his laughter at the pain of others, he was ashamed. He hurt Kirsty. Who was the real monster here?

- Kirsty.. – he fell on his knees near her.

- That all right, it's all over… - she hugged him. – let's just get away.

….

Jenevra didn't manage to open the door, but she was lucky that neighbours heard her. They opened the door and ran to the workshop. She could swear she saw some kind of strange light inside, but all the people claimed that the origin of light remained unidentified. Everything was upside down – broken table, shelves on the floor, tools all over the place, Philip was lying in the corner, unconscious.

- Philip! – she ran to him and tried to help him to raise.

- Quiet, be quiet – he's only wounded, we need to bring him to infirmary.

Philip moaned but opened his eyes.

- Philip, darling, what's happened?

- Lamerchand, what was here? How did the robbers get inside?

- I… - he groaned. – I don't remember…

- What?

- He doesn't remember.

- No wonder – just look at him – he's lost so much blood! To the doctor, hurry!

Philip really couldn't remember what happened in this room – the last remembrance was that he was sitting and working on the puzzle box for the duke. THE BOX! He raised his head to look on the table. No – the box was there, safe and sound. The Toymaker gave a sigh of relief.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 1****2****.**

Kirsty didn't know why they suddenly appeared in her house when they returned to present days. She could have done something wrong again, perhaps she solved the puzzle wrong, or her wish to be here influenced their movement – not only the precise place and destination, but also the way back…or perhaps it was some hellish game again. On the other hand – theyr returned right to the place, where they started.

Elliot was sitting on the sofa and didn't react on reality at all. All that Kirsty could do for him was to bring the warm shawl and a glass of water that she had to give to him. She understood – now there was nothing she could do for him – he could come to senses, or his mind would never come back again… he was motionless. Maybe that's why she had to leave him alone in the room and say "If you need something, I'm in the kitchen". She left the puzzle box on the bedside cabinet – she didn't want to fetch it with her all the time.

- I lost the game.

- And it's only now that you understand that you're condemned?

- To hope is human.

- To hope…but we both know, that to err is human.

- And you knew it was pointless from the very beginning?

- Yes.

- But why are talking about it only now?

- It's always such a pleasure – to let my enemy approach the goal as close as possible and to fail him at the last moment. The higher you fly, the more painful you'll fall. And by the way it was rather interesting to see all your little adventure. I must confess – you're interesting subjects to watch.

- I failed her…everybody. I promised to improve the situation.

- You couldn't. Hell cannot be escaped. Hell is Leviathan, and Leviathan is forever. You could have killed Lemarchand, destroy his work. But the box is not the only gateway – you proved it yourself.

- So the time is a river – you can change its riverbed, but it will always reach the ocean?

- That's right.

- Why I couldn't see it before.

- You're too self-assured and as poets tend to say "inspired with hope". You should have understood long ago that you're not a hero. You went to war for feat of arms – and lost all your nearest and dearest and your meaning of life. Than you decided to be brave – and got nothing – we were killed and the girls survived only by some miracle. And now you tried to play a kind spirit…

- Stop it, I see what you're driving at. I'm a miserable looser – each time when I try to do something good or help somebody – everything changes for the worse.

- I'm glad you understood that. Now when we came to agreement – don't you want to say something else to me?

Silence broke out in Elliot's thoughts.

- I want…I want to die.

- Why hesitation than?

- What's your profit from it?

- I'll return to hell, with or without you – no matter. But without you it will be easier – less headache.

Elliot chuckled and raised to his feet, the shawl fell on the sofa. Death was everything he could think of and with for. Let his blood splatter, finish this life not to fail anybody else, not to upset anybody…leave this place.

Kirsty saw him leaving her apartment - he went along the corridor.

- Elliot, are you ok? Is everything all right?

Spencer went past her without any notice.

- Elliot? Where are you going?

She went after him.

- What's wrong?

Silence. Elliot opened the front door.

- Hey…is anybody off there? Hello?

Elliot glanced at her and rushed to the threshold.

- Elliot, have you ever been alive? Have you ever loved someone? – this question took him aback. He just stopped and looked at her for some minutes, bewildered. Than he frowned. She gave a sigh, as if understanding that he won't answer.

- It's not so easy, Kirsty…there are many kinds of love – Platonic, maternal, friendship, patriotic…what kind of love you're asking about?

Under his questing look Kirsty understood she was blushing.

- I knew it… - he smiled sadly. – you want to know, if I had women? Yes, Kirsty, I had…many.

He turned to the wall and hit it with his fist, as if he was reproaching himself.

- But I don't remember their names, I don't remember faces…everything was so sudden, fleeting encounter. At first there were girls who liked "guys in uniform", and than…than… - he covered his face with his hands, trying to part with traces in his memory – I was stupid and naïve, love seemed something than could make me old, that could bound and chain to hearth as if it's a wheelchair. After the war I lost my faith in humanity and the word "love" left my speech forever…only lust remained…No, Kirsty I never loved when I was alive.

Kirsty stared on the floor, speechless. She didn't know what to think and she couldn't understand how she felt.

- Yes… - Elliot's voice woke her up. – I never loved when I was alive, before the moment when…

He turned to her and came up slowly.

- There, in hell, where was no place for any feelings for the first time I felt it…It was a little terrified girl…

Kirsty failed to talk, she could hardly breath.

- I looked in her big eyes full of tears and understood – I'm lost… I wanted to protect her, save her from all the evil in the world. For her only smile I accepted death. My god…Kirsty, I fell in love with you!

For some moments they looked at each other, than Elliot howled and rushed out of the house.

- Elliot! Elliot! Please, wait! – she ran after him.

At the road she caught his hand:

- You want to leave just like that? Aren't you tired of running from yourself?

He stopped.

- I'm too dangerous, he's growing stronger. If you don't want him to hurt you, you'd better set me free.

- I won't leave you, do you hear me? Many years ago I left you for dead. You should have known how much I blamed myself for that! But at that time one more terrified girl's life was in my hands and it was up to me to save her out of this nightmare…I HAD to leave you. But I'll never let this happen again!

She hugged him and this embrace of hers caught him harder, than Pinhead's chains another puzzle box victim. He turned to her:

- You must hate me for everything I've done.

- I know, I have to…but I cannot!

- Why?

She kissed him instead of answer.

….

Mrs. Brown was on her way back from the walk with her Dalmatian when she saw her neighbor kissing some man passionately. When she approached the couple, her dog growled and stopped. Kirsty and stranger stopped kissing and looked surprised at the dog and than smiled – to both dog and his owner. Mrs. Brow was to greet them when they turned around and went to the house. Only when the door behind them closed, the dog at last moved and jogged home. Anyway, his strange behavior was not the object of Mrs. Brown's attention.

"Finely, Cotton found some man. After her husband's death she looked barely alive. And now – like a rosebush in blossom! I need to catch her another day and chat about this mysterious stranger".

On her way home Brown stopped and looked at the garbage van parked on the other side of the street. It wasn't a surprise for her that the garbage collector vanished in the midday. She failed to notice and heaps of grasshoppers in the driver's cab.


	13. Together

**Chapter 13 - Together**

Tearing away from the sweet and tender kiss Kirsty had bestowed on him from out of the blue, Elliot gazed for what seemed like an age into the eyes of the young woman who had stolen his heart many years ago.

Though he was scared of what he believed was going to happen now, the inevitable, despite that fear he would hurt her - or more accurately, the fear of the monster himself would hurt her, he could not deny himself that he wanted her. He had always wanted her. And he wanted this. More than anything.

It was as if every sense in his body had been heightened, as though he were observing life through a magnifying glass. Without another word, he reached out with both his hands and gently yet firmly pulled her toward him. Kirsty could feel the maddening throb of his heart as her body pressed against his chest. Wrapping her arms around his neck, they resumed their kiss - furied with a passion neither of them had known or ever felt.

Her closeness to him was overwhelming Elliot, for he longed to be a part of her. He longed for this moment since the Channard Institute. Suddenely being pushed back by Kirsty's hot and eager hands, Elliot found himself within her bedroom - orbiting around her bed as they continued to kiss and eventually allowing themselves to fall down upon it together, not for one moment prising their swollen and throbbing lips apart.

Kirsty rolled ontop of him and kissed his cheek, his neck, his forehead. Then she slowly eases away, eyeing him intently with her deep brown eyes before lowering herself down once more and slipping her soft and sweet tongue into his mouth.

Her felt himself stir as he felt her searching fingers beginning to unbutton his shirt - slowly at first, but her impatience mounted as she wanted to experience all of him, and it wasn't long before she splayed it open. Rising up briefly, she gazed dreamily at his bare chest, carressing it with her hands, feeling the hardness of his muscles under her palms before lowering herself down once again to press her hot lips to it, leaving kisses and relishing his moans of pleasure.

Suddenly, without warning, Elliot had Kirsty on her back and now he was above her - panting, his eyes widened in lust and above all love. He began stroking her soft and wavy brown hair with his hands, whilst his lips kissed her brow, her temple, her chin before sweeping his hand across her shoulder to her breast, cupping it and squeezing it - and now it was his turn to relish in her sighs of pleasure.

Moving her own hands from his back to his waist, Kirsty then reached down and stroked him between his legs. He let out a brief moan - pulling away from her slightly and staring to her longingly, lovingly. For several seconds they lay transfixed by each other's closeness, both their breathing heavy, deep and rapid. And muffling together. Their eyes searching for some mutual signal, until they collapsed upon each other once more.

Elliot, in a mad torrent of passion, tore open her blouse and swept it off of her before she knew of it, at once revealing to him her full rounded pale breasts - restrained by black lace of her bra, whilst she fought mightily with his trousers, pulling them down until his manhood revealed itself to her. Elliot felt himself blushing when Kirsty's eyes landed on his most tender area. She reached out and gently took it in her hands, stroking it and carressing it - feeling it harden more in her grasp. The sea blue eyes in his head rolled back in deep arousal. Never had he felt so overcome with longing, and neither did she.

With one sweep movement of his skilled hands, Elliot pulled the bra off of her succulant breasts which now sprang free - larger than he had originally imagined. He lowered his head down and kissed them for several seconds, making incorherent animalistic noises, before lowering down much further to then leave his sweet caressess to her soft, flat stomach. She indulged him, arching her back with pleasure, moaning softly.

Then came the moment Elliot was afraid of. Slowly and gently, he eased his way in to her waiting and eager entrance, and began to thrust, listening as she let out a slight scream and watching as she withered and mumured in ecstasy with every thrust. Every once and a while, they came to the fresh hold of delirium. Elliot felt as though all life and air had been squeezed from him. In one gigantic surge of emotion, he threw his head back and cried out as he reached his climax, with Kirsty following not long after him.

Elliot at once withdrew himself and fell away from Kirsty, rolling onto his back on his side of the bed, then turned only to see the look of pure pleasure and love on her face. His chest rising and falling rapidly with every excellerated breath, Kirsty draped her arm across his chest and nuzzled into his shoulder, sighing contently. He wrapped her up in his strong arms and held her, not once tearing his eyes from hers until adrenalin gave way to exhaustion and finally, they fell asleep.

* * *

_I want to thank my friend Laura 101, who wrote this chapter for me!_


	14. Nightmare or Reality

**Chapter 14. Nightmare or Reality**

Kirsty opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. Something was srong – all the ceiling was in a hoarfrost, same as all the room - all furniture, all shawl on the bed…some pale blue light glimmered around and it was hard to identify it's origin.

- Elliot – she turned to her side trying to wake her lover up. But there was nobody.

- Elliot? – she jumped out of bed.

Suddenly she saw his steps on the frozen floor – they led out of the room.

- Elliot. – she called him unconfidently.

She went out of the room to the direction of steps. On the stairs she saw that all her room was frozen – even the ceiling snowed!

- My god…what's happening here? – Kirsty was frightened not because of all these hellish things around but because she was all alone in this nightmare.

- Elliot! – she understood he won't answer and followed the steps that let to the…attic.

Weak in her knees she went up the starts – some glimmering golden light was behind the door. She took the handle…

She was in the middle of Leviathan's labyrinth; in the Hall of Leviathan…some figure was approaching her. She was to run as fast as she could when painfully familiar voice called her:

- Kirsty?

- Dad? – she whispered and ran as fast as she could to the man in the dark.

- Daddy! Daddy! – she hugged Larry and couldn't keep from happy tears.

- Kirsty, my darling Kirsty! – he embraced her and whirled her as if she was a little girl.

- Daddy, I cannot believe that. I thought I'll never see you…

- But I knew, I'll see my girl…I knew you'll return to us.

Her smile vanished.

- TO US? – she asked.

- Yes, to us – Larry gave an innocent smile. – to me, Frank, Julia…and to him.

He nodded to the side and Kirsty in fear turned to that man he was pointing at…it was Pinhead who stood there with a triumphant smile.

- Welcome back, Kirsty.

She tried to run but her father grabbed her so heavily that she swore she could hear the sound of breaking bones.

- No, daddy! Let me go!

Larry shook his head and she heard some rattle behind her back. Something reminding big puzzle box emerged behind her. The sides of the construction opened and she saw disgusting tentacles in this "cabin" – eager and ready to grab her…

- NOOO! – she cried as loud as all the labyrinth could hear her.

Her father approached the cabin and pushed her inside…

…..

- AAAAAAAAAAAAA!

- Kirsty? Kirsty? What happened my darling? – she heard worried man's voice on her side and than somebody embraced her trying to calm down.

- Elliot? – she was so frightened that she couldn't say anything else – her heartbeat was so strong that it seemed to be tearing apart.

Several minutes she looked at Spencer with some bewilderment that she answered to his embrace.

- You didn't sleep?

- I couldn't…too many events…too many thoughts. Don't worry, I'm with you now.

"I'm with you" - she seemed to be dreaming of these words for all her life. She smiled at him, kissed his lips, ran her fingers over his face, neck and one of the scars on his chest. She closed her eyes and some sweet dream smothered her.

Some nasty squeal woke her up.

- Somebody's at the door - Elliot said in a worried tone.

- I don't care. When they get tired of waiting they'll go. – she whispered.

Bit the doorbell rang again.

- Shit! What the devil brings them here? - she turned to the side and tried to rise but changed her mind.

The doorbell rang again.

- Bastards. Okay, okay, I'm coming if you need me so much. In the middle of the night.

- Be careful.

- Don't worry, Elliot, I don't think that our friends from hell are polite enough to knock on the door. – she put on the dressing gown and cried "I'm coming!" going down the stairs.

….

She stopped for a moment and looked in the eye but couldn't see anything in total darkness.

- God forbid if somebody to mix up addresses! – she opened the door and…

The man stood on the threshold. He wore garbage collector uniform and was holding some black pack in his hands.

- I beg your pardon?

He outstretched the pack and it smelled like a city sewage. Kirsty gave a start when he man emptied the contents of the pack on her feet – the pack was full of flies and black beetles. She only managed to make a step back wards when he rushed inside the house…

- Let her go! - Elliot's furious voice sounded on the stairs.

- Ah…the escapist is in such a hurry to meet his destiny that forgot to put his trousers on! – The Guardian mocked on purpose – he knew, he had an advantage this time.

- Let her go. It's me you need. – Elliot went out. – Come here and fight but don't cover yourself with a helpless woman!

The Guardian didn't react and Elliot made a step forward. The monster shook Kirsty showing that it won't be hard for him to tear her apart as a doll.

- Stop!

- You want me to stop. All right, if you want her to be safe and sound, you are to do what I say.

- What I'm to do? – Elliot knew perfectly, what he was to do.

- There. – the Guardian turned his rotten face to the sitting-room. – The Box is there. Take it and open it.

Elliot stood still. The Guardian growled, his fangs became so long that couldn't fit his mouth. Disgusting yellow saliva was dripping on Kirsty's hair.

- I cannot take the box – it can be only given to me. Let her go so she could pass me the box.

- I'm not an idiot. – the monster giggled. – I know your rules better. The box couldn't be taken by force, but if the box is free anybody can take it. So go and open it!

Elliot went to the sitting-room not daring to turn to monster – he tried to win some time and to help the situation.

Spencer approached the bedside cabinet, but hesitated to take it. The Guardian stood in the doorway still holding his hostage and watched his every step.

- And remember – if you try to do something wrong on purpose – she'll die.

"Damn! What am I to do?"

"Isn't it easy just to do what he says?"

"Ha, I'll go to hell and he'll kill Kirsty, right?"

"He won't, believe me – she won't get hurt".

"Why don't you help HER?"

"I told you – I played in your hands once, but it's over. You have to accept your destiny. And your destiny is in hell".

Elliot hesitated.

"It's up to you to chose – you can go to hell right now and save one life, or you'll be sent there later while you'll be crying over her mutilated body".

"Be damned!"

"I am…I am".

He looked at Kirsty as if he tried to remember her forever and grabbed the box. The box rattled, when his other hand grabbed the box with the same power and against his will. He cried with pain and closed his eyes tight. His cry silenced, his face relaxed and he turned his face to the doorway. Both Kirsty and The Guardian saw – his eyes were pitch black.

Guardian and Elliot smiled at each other as old friends do and Spencer started solving the box with his fingers. Kirsty started resisting and tried to run – but it was useless. She could only see the box start opening and took the painfully familiar shape.

- Elliot, please! – she tried to scream but only groaned. She turned away not to see what was happening. Everything went dark…

Than she understood that nobody was holding her. She opened her eyes and saw her sitting-room only absolutely empty.

- Elliot – she whispered before unbearable weakness overcame her and she felt on the floor, unconscious.


	15. Return to the Nightmare

**Chapter 12. Return to the Nightmare**

Great Britain. London.

Tiffany got tired of sitting at home, especially alone. Husband is at work, son at school and she had caught cold, so she had nothing to do but to stay in her room and breed viruses. Spleen overcame her – nothing interesting on TV, all interesting books were read, she couldn't even find some new crosswords. Oh now she wished to return to her favorite shop – "Gifts, puzzle boxes, board games" – there she could find something inetersing, but she was unlucky to be ill.

She shivered at the sudden phone call. Who could have called her so early and on the working day?

- Hello! – Tiffany reluctantly answered the phone, thinking somebody could have mixed up the numbers.

- Tiffany! Is that you?

- KIRSTY? – Tiffany shook her head, as if this voice was unreal to her.

- Yes, it's me. Glad you didn't change the number.

- Oh God, Kirsty, I haven't heard from you for ages! So glad you're calling! How are you? How's life? How are things in America?

Suspicious silence broke.

- Kirsty? – Tiffany asked, feeling that something was wrong.

- Tiff, forgive me that I'm breaking the promise we gave to each other so many years ago and stir up the past, but…

- Kirsty?

- I need your help.

- Of course – you're always welcome. How can I help you? You're in trouble?

- In a way. A really close person is in trouble. I have to…I must help him! You could tell me something…

- THIS happened again? – Tiffany asked in terrified whisper.

- Yes. Tell me – when you were in Channard's house, you opened the box, as you told me…why did cenobites set you free?

Tiffany gulped – she should never have thought she would have to remember it.

- Tiff, I have to help him! I have to get him out of there! But I need to open the gates of hell in a way that they won't tear me apart at once, you see?

- Kirsty, are you crazy? Hell, cenobites…Keep away from that! Your friend must be dead by now!

- He was already dead when we met for the first time, so this argument will hardly stop me.

Silence broke on the other line.

- Tiffany, I beg you! I need to get into the Labyrinth somehow.

- Kirsty…we'll both regret about that. Okay, I'll tell you.

She took the phone and sat on the bed.

- When I opened the box, cenobites came after me. They even prepared the weapons to kill me when their leader stopped them. Those – you remember? – with pins in his head.

- So…why?

- He said something like "It's not hands that summoned us, it's desire".

- What is that suppose to mean?

- Honestly, I'm not sure, it seems to me that the cenobites come only after those, who wants something from the box, when they open it.

- When it was in my hands for the first time, I didn't wish for anything. I didn't know it's purpose!

- But you were curious about it's purpose – so it's a wish in a way. – Tiffany sighed. – and I couldn't wish something from this box, even if I wanted to. You know what my state was at that time.

- Yes, I remember. Nearly a vegetable… Okay, what was next?

- They didn't touch me, they searched for the person who really wanted to summon them…

- Channard.

- Right.

- And they took him?

- No, he hid and waited for them to leave, when he and Julia entered the opened gates of the Labyrinth.

Silence.

- So…cenobites can be cheated if you make some other person open the box. Thank you, Tiffany!

- Kirsty, wait!

- No, I decided. I know it's like a suicide, but…Tiffany, if we won't meet again, I need you to know – you've always been my best friend. Farewell than.

- Never say "farewell". Bad sign.

Sad chuckle sounded on the other side of the line and the receiver was hanged. Tiffany was alone in the quite gloomy flat with tense silence. She took a cross pendant with a trembling hand, kissed it and whispered.

- God bless you, my friend.

…..

In two hours.

- That's ok, Miss Cotton – nothing's wrong with you.

- Nothing's wrong? You think so, doctor?

- Let me remind you the symptoms: tiredness, insomnia, unstable blood pressure, changing mood…

- Nightmares…

- Of course. Nearly 90 percent of the USA population suffers it. I tell you, nothing's wrong. More fresh air, less work, morning exercises, less stress and worry about trifles that were and will occur as a matter of fact. Of course no alcohol and cigarettes…

- I understood doctor.

- Okay.

- So there is nothing to be prescribed?

- Only valerian and vitamin C. That'll do.

- As you say, doctor.

- So, if you won't mind, I'll go.

- Wait! – Kirty jumped from her sofa.

- Is there something else?

- Well…you see…it's not up to you, but… - she took the box from her bedside cabinet and stretched to him. – it's my resent present.

- Lovely stuff, what's that? – doctor bent to see the strange cube closer.

- It must be a puzzle box. You see, the person who presented this to me must have overestimated my abilities…I don't know how to open it…

- Really? And how can I help you?

- Well, I thought…perhaps you could have helped me with it. I'm curious how this cube thing is supposed to be opened, I'm afraid I won't do it by myself.

- Well, and I'm not supposed to stay without any reason. But…well… you've intrigued me. – the doctor outstretched his wrinkled hand and took the box. – You know, I like various puzzle boxes since childhood.

- So, you'll help me. – Kirsty gave an innocent smile and even clapped her hands, just like a little girl.

- I don't think it will take too much time. It must be something elementary I just need to look at it more… - he was so involved with the details of the pattern that even forgot to finish the phrase.

Kirsty stood near him and watched not the box, but doctor's hands. If he wasn't so busy with the box he could have noticed agitation in Kirsty's eyes.

- Would you like some tea, doctor?

- No thank you…maybe coffee?

- I've got! With or without sugar?

- Up to you.

- Okay, I'll be in a moment. – she turned fast and left the room as quick as she could. She hid behind the doorpost and watched the process.

Funny it was but it really didn't take much time. She didn't have to see the box move. Rattle, sizzling sound of the lightning, scream of the doctor. And silence…silence before the storm that broke out at the opening sides of the wall. Kirsty hid and didn't look inside. Her attempt to close her ears saved her from awful scream of pain that could be heard all over the house.

"I have to watch the gates….watch the gates!" – she was telling herself.

As she gained strength to look inside the room she saw an horrifying picture – doctor, pierced with lots of chains tried to catch hold of some furniture not the be pushed inside the hellish corridor. Strange it is, but she kept from the attempt – she nearly wanted to help him. But some beast at the entrance made her pull herself together. It looked a bit like a salamander, with disgusting pale pink skin and mouthful of shark teeth. The Wall Walker caught the victim with deformed limbs and now was dragging the doctor inside the Labyrinth.

But her nerves shook her, too many memories at a time as she remembered that this very beast could have killed her many years ago – in the hospital.

"Don't panic! No nerves – no panic!" – she was telling to herself until man's screams calmed down.

She looked inside the room again. All the floor to the place where the box was lying was blooded. Bloody dots and stains on the furniture – the doctor must have hurt himself when he was grabbing the furniture trying to resist the claws. Being sure there was nobody inside, Kirsty entered the room…what was strange – she felt nothing. To regrets, no pity, no disgust…nothing. As if this frozen wind from this hell gateways froze her soul…

She bent and picked up the box. She didn't know why – it's useless in hell anyway. She just didn't want to leave it here – she went to the gateway.

"All hope abandon ye who enter here" – she remembered the lines from the "Divine Comedy".

She gave a sigh, stepped over the puddle of blood and entered the gates…


	16. Labyrinth

**Chapter 1****6****. Labyrinth.**

Kirsty already lost the counting of time that she spent wandering endless corridors. They were all alike. She might have wandered circles – she didn't know. She didn't stop, proceeding forward and without turning back. From time to time she could hear screams of pain from behind the stone walls and she listened if that could be Elliot - but no, the voices were unfamiliar. She strolled forwards thinking angrily: "And who only invented the picture of burning hell? It's goddamn cold here!" – and her hair was already covered with hoarfrost. Suddenly on the nearest crossroad she heard the familiar sound of chattering teeth…nowhere to run. She leaned against the wall.

Two Twin female cenobites passed her by, dragging some man in chains. She took a closer look at him if it could have been Elliot – no, he was much younger and muscular, although his body was already very mutilated. Something crawled after them. She had to cover her mouth not to scream, as she was to loose her mind looking at such a creature. It looked a little bit like a first cenobite that Kirsty met, but it's skin was all white with some mysterious symbols carved on it, and he had no clothes on – at least he didn't need one, as there was nothing lower his waist. Torso crawled after the victim on his hands making this nasty chattering sound. Perhaps Kirsty was standing in the wind as the beast turned it's eyeless head in the direction where she stood and stopped. Kirsty ran as fast as she could without looking back – she didn't dare to check if she was followed.

Only a door that suddenly emerged in front of her made her stop. She caught a door handle and sneaked inside. Several minutes she was standing astonished – a moment ago she was running along the labyrinth of hell and suddenly stepped inside the police department. She knocked on the nearest table to check if it didn't seem to her – wood, at least on touch. She took the ceramic cup from the table – it looked real and material.

- Hey, is anybody off there? – she asked.

Silence was an answer. Only leaves rustled outside the window. Not knowing what to do Kirsty went forward until she saw the stairs downwards. She stepped on them. She couldn't know what was in the basement of police department and she was unhappy to know that it was a mortuary.

- So what's now? – Kirsty asked the air, looking at the dark creepy place. Blooded medical instruments lied all over the place, all were cracked, lamps blinked.

Her attention was attacked by the table, or to be precise, what was lying on it covered with a white oilcloth. She took it's edge and pulled. She could have screamed at the sight of the corpse with a shot in his head, when a man's hand covered her mouth.

- Well, hello my darling.

Kirsty started fighting in his hands trying to set her free.

- Not going to say "hello"? Ah I see – you cannot – the man took his hand off her mouth.

- Leave me alone! Now!

- And if I don't – what would you do? Shoot my brains out? I'm afraid, this time you won't succeed.

His hands let her go and she grabbed the first sharp thing she could use as a weapon – amputation saw.

- Oh wow, you're so evil! And where is the sweet and tender girl that I was married to?

- In the same place where is my honest and faithful husband. – Kirsty snarled.

Trevor laughed and started wandering circles around her as a wolf round his prey.

- You know, he didn't lie to me. He promised I'll see you soon.

- And where is HE now?

- I don't know. – Trevor shrugged his shoulders. – He often visits me here. I must confess, he had a good time. But where he's leaving I don't know. I cannot leave this place anyway.

Silence broke out in mortuary, Kirsty only heard her agitated breath.

- You know, Kirsty, I'm glad we're together again. No, I really missed you, especially when these freaks came here to torture me. In these moments I dream for you to be here and feel what I feel!

Trevor attacked her. She only managed to raise her weapon at him, when he disarmed her and pressed against the wall.

- Burn in Gehenna, bastard! – Kirsty spit her former husband in the face.

Trevor laughed.

- Ah, Kirsty…still angry with me for all the trifles?

- Trifles? You played me false and tried to kill me. You call it a trifle?

- Who cares what I was telling when I was drunk? What murder? Conspiracy? I'm so goody-goody! – he bent to her trying to kiss but she turned away. – Anyway, you must know that each man can go off the rails once from his wife…

- "Once"? You tell it – but you've fucked half the district behind my back!

- Bla-bla-bla, and you're saint. Hardly have you buried your husband when you find yourself some new suitor.

- What?

- I say you smell some other man. If not to say "stink".

Kirsty felt that she'll either blush or scratch this bastard's eyes out.

- Whoever is this "lucky man" I don't hold a stick to him, right?

- You overestimate yourself.

- Really? Shall we check? Right here, right now. So to speak relive the past!

- What…what are you doing? – Kirsty chocked of indignation, when Trevor's hand started unbuttoning her jeans.

- Kirsty, calm down. Remember your women's proverb "If you cannot resist the rape, just relax and try to get as such pleasure as possible". – Trevor pulled her to him sharply and kissed – rudely and brutally.

Kirsty bit his lip to the blood and as he pushed himself back hit him on his knee. The knee cracked.

She gave a start to run and tried to jump over him and he used the opportunity. He caught hold of her leg and she felt on the floor. "Husband" got her under his body so that she couldn't move and hit her on the face. Her lips were bleeding when he stretched for the medical tools on the table.

- So now, my love – welcome to our worst nightmare – MY personal hell! – scalpel in his hand glimmered but he failed to injure her. Somebody grabbed his hand.

- What the…? – Trevor looked up and gulped convulsively.

- We were ordered to bring the girl to the Leader. – in a robot's voice pronounced Camerahead.

- Hey – it's not about the deal! He promised her to me! Promised that we'll meet!

- Leader always stick to his words – he promised that you'll meet her – so you've met. Nothing more!

- But…but…- Trevor didn't finish the phrase as the cenobite, tired of waiting, jerked him upwards.

Camera object glass moved forwards and…came through Trevor's neck! The object glass returned to the primary position and Trevor only croaked with a huge wound in his neck, splattering blood all over the floor. The most awful thing was that he couldn't die – he bleeded, felt pain, tried to stop blood with his hands – but he couldn't die. Death was unreachable pleasure here – that was the difference between the world of living and dead.

Camerahead threw Trevor to the side. Kirsty decided not to wait for him to do the same with her and got to her feet. She ran to the door which swung open in front of her and she ran into some huge figure.

- Oh god! – all she managed to cry when the The Wall Walker grabbed her face with it's arm and hit against the side jamb.


	17. Fate

**Chapter 1****7****. Fate.**

Kirsty came to senses at feeling strong cold. Funny it was but the first thought that came to mind was "Did I forget to close the window in the room again?" Suddenly her conscience reminded her – she was not at home – she was in hell.

Instinctively she tried to get on her feet but her head was spinning around, so she had to sit on her knees. Questions, endless questions attacked her mind – where she was now, how long she was unconscious, what happened during this time? Main question – was she alone here?

She looked around – there was some kind of a small room, reminding monastic cell. No furniture, no objects, only mysterious symbols on the walls, ceiling and floor, that glimmered dimly – it was the only light. She had to stop her search – her head ached so much so she even groaned with pain.

- You have to forgive him. – Pinhead emerged out of nowhere in front of her. – The Wall Walker is only an animal, although tamed but without any manners or brains. Don't worry - he's learned his lesson as he forgot my order to bring you here without using brutal force.

Kirsty didn't hear him. She was too frightened and how her instincts ordered her to run away. All that she could was crawling backwards and her back met the cold of the stone wall.

- I'll be the judge of Trevor myself. – Pinhead approached Kirsty and stretched out his hand as if trying to touch her bleeding lips. But before he could touch her she sneaked to the opposite wall.

Pinhead laughed:

- I thought you loved the touch of these hands.

Kirsty didn't answer, she only glanced at him with her eyes full of fury and said:  
- I came here after Elliot.

- You say it wrong, child. You came not after him, but to him.

- Where is he?

- Where he's supposed to be – in his personal hell. Here. – Pinhead pointed at his chest.

- He…he sees now what's happening here?

- He sees, hears and understands. You know what's strange? When you're near, his soul is calm.

- What do you want in exchange for his soul?

- It's not so easy, Kirsty. Soul is not a trinket what you can exchange, give or present. You see, every person consists of two opposite personalities. You call them "dark" and "light" half. As a rule, on of these two parts dominates. Very rarely both parts are in harmony. I consist of two chaotic parts – miserable, but believing in justice and all-forgiving "good" and all-destroying unstoppable "evil". Together we're perfect creature.

Kirsty looked at him. He was really perfect – as perfect as incarnation of pain and forbidden pleasures could be.

- Why did you urge Elliot to kill?

- It was a test. I tested you, Kirsty – tried to understand how much you're devoted to him.

Kirsty was lost for words. Silence broke out for several minutes. Each of two expected another to break the silence as if it was also a little test. Kirsty was the first:

- What is the game that you play?

- I don't play. It's you, who is eager to play and for a long time. I'm here only to make you get rid of any doubts and join the game.

- I don't want to have anything in common with all of you!

- Really? So why did you open the box in the hospital?

- It was a mistake! Just an accident!

- Accident, even unbelievable ones drive your mortal lives.

- I was innocent!

- Innocence do not exist, there are only various stages of guilt. – and by the way, Kirsty. – Pinhead said as if reminding. – thanks for your treat. Here in hell doctors are second tasty treat after the priests.

Her face was motionless. She couldn't return the past –she wasn't going to humiliate and justify herself in front of this monster. He chuckled coldly her indifference to other people pleased him.

- You have to accept it – you've always used other people to achieve your goals.

- You're mistaken.

Pinhead didn't talk back – only looked in her eyes and it was enough for her to understand – it was her, who was mistaken here.

She grasped her head. Her mind was close to insanity – maybe she was just going mad? Perhaps she was. How could be explained that she dared to think that she could go to hell again, just like that, wander here and than return on earth with a damned soul, that was sentenced to be a demon here somewhat a century ago? How could she be so self-assured?

- It's all like a bad dream. – Kirsty whispered.

- The difference between dream and reality is that reality is not what you can stop believing in and it will vanish.

- And what does reality hold for me?

- Great Fate.

- Fate? Sufferings legendary even in hell?

- Oh, no, my child. – Pinhead smiled mysteriously. – I have another plans for you.

Cotton felt shivers down her spine. If here she saw cenobites with torture devices she could have imagined her fate, but now she was all alone with him, isolated from the rest of the labyrinth. About his plans she knew nothing. This uncertainty scared her more than the perspective to be torn apart.

- What do you want from me? – Kirsty asked trying not to speak in trembling voice.

- Oh, how can I explain what I want? Is it possible? What are words? Some elusive things – when you say them, their sense vanish and melt…like a jellyfish in the sun. – He opened his eyes and approached her. – it's hard to explain. You humans often say: "seeing believing". Let me show you than.

He stretched his hand again and Kirsty didn't move. Her curiosity overcame her instinct of self-preservation and she let him touch her. His cold fingers closed her eyelids, than he put his hands on her temples. When he pressed on them a little, reality lost it's power…

…

Her eyes were closed but it didn't save her from waves of memories. All her feelings – sharpened and strong were breaking her mind to pieces. She couldn't differentiate reality from a vision. She saw and she felt her past. Crazy kaleidoscope passed her mind – carnal smile of Frank, demonic eyes of her stepmother, crazy laughter of Channard, twitched with pain face of Trevor. And He stood behind all this. He brought her to this moment – her Fate.

Time parted in front of her – now she could see it's secrets. Labyrinth was pulsing with her breath, thousands and thousands of sinners were lying at her feet – naked, frightened and miserable. She stood above all of them – new Kirsty that got rid of all human feelings and passions, now her skin was covered with quaint pattern, thin metal strings replaced her veins and muscles, her hair flying in the hellish wind, her eyes could see the deepest depth of human soul. She was prefect. And He, who chose her and brought her to this way stood by her side – as perfect as she. Pinhead stood above the Labyrinth and called her with his hand. But something shivered inside her heart, all her admiration was replaced by a memories, oppressed memories that came to life.

She looked around. From the very horizon she was surrounded by the garden of suffering flesh.

- They are all yours, Kirsty. They deserved pain.

This voice that made reality tremble sounded behind her back. Yes, they deseved it. Kirsty saw those she hated most. Trevor crawled on his knees at her feet – so helpless, so miserable, Julia's flesh was torn apart in front of her eyes. She wanted to be the queen of hell, but she only tasted pain without pleasures. Frank was there too – those, who ruined her world, her happy life – he deserved hell more that all of them. They deserved pain. She looked aside and suddenly sorrow overcame her. She saw her father.

He really was a good person, she didn't deserve hell at all. Her burning shame overcame her mind and understanding brought her pain of loss.

- No! Nooooo! – her voice broke the time and distance. – Never! I'll never be such a monster – can you hear me?

Her sharpened feelings whirled her in the depths of insanity, demonic wind howled around, thousands and thousands of suffering sinners were crying in her head, the Labyrinth was breaking down to ruins taking Kirsty with it…again she appeared on the stone floor in front of the One, who was judging her Fate now.


	18. Blood Ties

**Chapter 1****8****. Blood Ties.**

- Oh no, no…daddy… - Kirsty moaned sitting on her knees. The sight of…to be exact not the sight but the look of her father full of pain and indescribable sufferings stuck in her mind.

Pinhead was looking at her from the height of his body. Several minutes ago he felt she was admiring her perfection, enjoying the suffering of all people that caused her pain, how she was stretching her hand to him, how she was answering his calling…and suddenly everything ended. Pinhead didn't know why.

- What's happened, child? What made you upset?

- My father…he's here, in hell.

- So what?

- He suffers.

- As all condemned souls.

- And you wanted me to take part in his tortures?

- What I see…could you still have any compassion to other people?

- He's not "other", he's a close person – he's my dad! - Kirsty stopped crying and raised to her feet.

- Stop it, Kirsty. You're no more daddy's girl.

- Where is he?

- In his personal hell.

- Where?

- You won't find him anyway.

- Bring me to him!

- That won't do. We have unfinished business.

- We'll finish it, I swear. Let me see my father now.

Pinhead didn't answer – he was looking in her eyes. Perhaps he was thinking if it could have been some other trick that she planned to escape…but not a single thought about escape was in her head – all she could be thinking about was her father. Pinhead didn't like it – she was supposed to think about the upcoming fate, her destiny… But he agreed.

….

Cenobite named Surgeon was twisting metal corset in his victim's body. It was all covered with needles and pins. That's how he obtained his name – all tortures he was performing with surgeon's skill and accuracy. He didn't respect those cenobite who tore their martyrs apart – torture was the art for him, so there must have been something esthetic in it.

The tortured man was aged a bit over 40 – he didn't scream yet. Although his arms were twisted back and chained and there was some kind of bootikins on his feet – he overcame the pain. He spent here enough time to get used to the preparations to tortures but the Surgeon was sure that hardly would he start his work – the victim loses his voice of screaming.

He was to start the process when masterful and thrilling voice sounded in his head:

- My grandson, stop exploring of this man's flesh. I need him now.

- Prince, are you going to explore him yourself? – Surgeon asked telepathicly. Yes, many cenobites lacked the ability to talk, so the Great Leviathan gave them the gift of telepathic speech to compensate this drawback.

- It's not your business. Bring him to normal state, put away your medical tools and leave!

But for teeth cramps that prevented his face from any mimics, his face might have expressed surprise. On the one hand – it happened when older cenobites took victims from the younger ones – it was considered a norm in hell and there was no argue. On the other hand the victim was to be…restored to normal state! Why? Anyway the wounds of the victims sooner or later healed.

Anyway Surgeon wasn't going to argue with Prince. It could have had complications, and the instinct of self-preservation was of great importance for cenobites.

With great disappointment Surgeon grabbed the corset on the man's body and pulled it off roughly. It took so much time to create not quite a masterpiece, but a first-class thing and so little to destroy it…

….

- Is it here? – Kirsty asked standing in front of the door that reminded her the doctor's office.

Pinhead didn't say a work – only made a gesture that said "come in and fear nothing". Kirsty breathed in, closed her eyes and stepped over the threshold.

She opened her eyes and saw neither suffering sinners and their groans nor evil clinging of chains. She looked around – it didn't remind her of torture room or some phantasmagoric place like her uncle's Frank personal hell. Nothing. It looked like a operating theatre. And Kirsty couldn't get rid of the thought that she knew this place.

Something clapped behind her and she trembled as it was sudden. She looked back - it turned out that Pinhead went after her to the room and clapped the door after him. As the door closed – all handles and keyholes on it vanished.

- Where is he?

- He cannot leave this place anyway, so he's somewhere here. – Cenobite said with a smile.

While Kirsty was exploring this "theater" Pinhead couldn't help chuckle – he seemed to have scared poor Surgeon so much that he not only took all the operating tools with him but scraped this part of hell to shining tidiness.

A piece of paper on one of the cabinets attacked Kirsty's attention. She took it and read – it was a death certificate. "Patient's name: Margareth Cotton. Cause of death: cerebral hemorrhage. Date of death:…" – she couldn't read further and lost hold of the paper. She couldn't read further – now she knew, where she could have seen this place before. She was 6 years old, they were returning from theme park, some driver cut in front of them, father lost control of the car. She came to senses at the hospital with bruises and scratches, her father broke his arm and her mother…

It was the place where her mother was struggling for life.

- Mmm… - painful moaning sounded on her side. Cotton came out of frozen state and ran to the direction of the sound. In the farther corner of the operating theater somebody was lying on the bed – his head was covered with a white sheet.

Kirsty put away the sheet and fell on her knees as she couldn't stand anymore. Her father – injured and mutilated as she saw him for the last time was lying on the bed covered with stitches and blues. It seemed that he occurred in hit-and-ran accident and doctors have just finished the complicated operation.

- Daddy… - she put her hands on his cheeks trying not to cry.

He trembled and opened his eyes.

- Daad…daddy….

- What new torture have you invented this time? – Larry asked in weak but rude voice.

- No, daddy, it's me – Kirsty!

- If you want to torture me – come on, do it, but don't send me such visions! – Larry turned away from her.

- No, daddy, it's me – I'm real. It's not a hallucination! Your daughter Kirsty! I know, I've changed – so many years have passed since the moment when…my mom's name is Margareth. My favorite color is violet. My favorite cartoon is "Beauty and the Beast". And when I was little and took offence I called you "plucked parrot".

- Kirsty…daughter…is that really you? – Larry outstretched his scarred hand to her forehead and touched her face not believing his eyes.

- Yes, it's me. Glad to see you again. I thought I would never see you again!

Kirsty took his palm and kissed it.

- Oh god, Kirsty, you've grown up. How many years have passed?

- Many, daddy.

- Oh Kirsty. – Larry stood up as he tried hard and took her in his embrace. She couldn't help crying the tears of reunion – and so did he.

Strange it was, but Pinhead, looking at them felt some kind of unknown feeling of envy. His father would never have hugged him and never would cry for him, never would console him. As he could remember he saw his father only when he wanted to scold him (just for "bringing-up", without any reason) and narrate him lections like "you're an successor of the officer's dynasty, you have to join the army, and earn high military rank, be decorated with many orders and do lots of great deeds and only dare to fail me!" The Lead Cenobite pulled himself together and got rid of these thoughts. His father is Leviathan, god of hell, master of the Labyrinth and not some miserable mortal!

- Kirsty, wait… - Larry stepped from her. – if you're here. You…you must be dead too?

- No daddy, no, I'm not. Not sure…

- Listen you have to leave right now! If these monsters return…

- Mister Cotton, your care of your daughter is rather touching, but it's useless now. We won't hurt her. Now we're her family. – Pinhead appeared in front of Larry's eyes only now.

- What? – Larry looked at cenobite and at Kirsty. – What could he mean by that?

- He's lying, daddy. I'm not one of them.

- Not yet. But you'll soon be.

- I didn't tell you my decision.

- But now you must. You swore. I fulfilled your wish. Now you must stick to your prmise.

- What's that about?

- Daddy…I…

- I'm about that you're daughter is soon to become the Princess of Pain. And obtain her deserved place – on the right hand of me.

- No! Hear that, you, monster. I won't let you… - Larry tried to jump off the bed but chains that appeared out of nowhere pierced his hands and chained him to it.

- No – don't cause him pain!

- Get used to it, Kirsty. Soon pain will become the integrate part of your life.

- Not my father!

- Calm down, Kirsty. He, as any other soul here is condemned to sufferings, and perhaps some day he'll learn to get pleasure from them. – Pinhead looked at Larry scornfully. – but I doubt it. So, have you decided?

- If my dad is condemned to this, I condemn myself! I'll suffer with him.

- Calm down, don't say it. You're overwhelmed with emotions – get rid of them. Think rationally.

- I think rationally! You think I could do it…live here knowing that the person who raised me up suffers somewhere here when I enjoy forbidden pleasures and do nothing to ease his pain? I cannot do it.

- You place is near me. You know it and accept it perfectly. This misunderstanding can spoil all the business.

- Yes, you've spent too much time preparing me for this. You taught me to be cold and cruel. You taught me to sacrifice lives of other people to achieve my goals. But you couldn't teach me not to love. I love my father.

- Kirsty. – Larry groaned.

- You tell me – could you be a master here knowing that your nearest and dearest were somewhere here? Could you stroll the Labyrinth so easily hearing their screams? Could you fail to see the visions of their unbearable pain?

Pinhead closed his eyes. Of course this girl wanted pity, but what was strange – he nearly physically felt the fear that overcame him when he returned from war. Fear that mastered his mind when he was alone (after the war he was always alone). He was afraid to see the perished friends. He was afraid to see their wounded and injured bodies full of shots and mutilated with explosions and look at him with conviction. Conviction that they had perished and he was alive. He dared to live knowing their bodies were rotting in mass graves. If he saw these looks once, he could have lost his mind! Wait a minute – what it was about? Prince of Pain wasn't suppose to be afraid of something. There is not a single thing in this world that could scare him! These people are nothing to him! These were Elliot's thoughts, not his! But why Spencer's thought came inside his head? It's wrong – it shouldn't be!

- Ok, I suppose to agree with you. What alternative you're asking about.

- Set free the soul of my father.

- What? – Pinhead laughed – he couldn't believe her heard such a stupid thing.

- Set my father free and I'll agree to everything. Wherever you want.

- You must be joking! He's damned!

- He doesn't belong here. It's all because of Frank. My dad didn't open the box.

- But he's here anyway. So he deserved it.

- If I only knew the person who deserved paradise more – it's my father. Frank envied him and ruined everything so he suffers here instead of him!

- I know, Kirsty. But his soul belongs to hell. If I set him free, it would be a betrayal of my master.

- But you can do it, don't you? You can set him free?

- Well I can set him free into oblivion.

- So do it! Or don't waste time and sent me to my personal hell!

Pinhead doubted. On the one hand Cotton offered him to betray his master, on the other she was to become a cenobite at her free will and if she refused, he had to kill her and condemn her soul to sufferings. Strange it was but this thought caused him pain.

- Think – what' more precious. My father's absence won't be noticed, but if I won't be turned into a cenobite hell is to wait a long time before any other person can be chosen a Princess of Pain.

- Leviathan has nothing to do with it. – Pinhead whispered. Yes, it was him who persuaded Leviathan to let him to turn Kirsty. He persuaded god of Labyrinth, that there was Kirsty and nobody else worth of this title of Princess of Hell. And it was very easy to explain why Angelique couldn't get this proud title.

Kirsty rushed from her place and ran up to Pinhead.

- I beg you…Elliot…if you love me – set my father free.

Pinhead felt such a pain in his chest as if something was tearing him from the inside. His thoughts mixed up – he didn't like her to call him Elliot, but he was powerless to refuse…

- All right. – he hissed through his teeth. – Our final bargain.

Chains that were holding Larry suddenly set him free and before Kirsty could understand what was happening his body started to become transparent.

- Daddy? What's happening to him?

- His soul is preparing for departure.

Larry was looking at him hands – they were limpid.

- Kirsty? What are they doing with me?

- That's ok, daddy. You're free. – Kirsty burst into tears.

- But…what about you?

- Pray for my soul, daddy. – the last words she managed to say before he vanished in the air.

For several minutes she was looking at the place where her father was lying and noticed nothing in the room except this place. She didn't notice that the room splattered to ashes and turned into another stone cell that all the Labyrinth was made of. Her frozen state was broken by the voice:

- So, Kirsty, it's time to start…


	19. Conspiracy

**Chapter 1****9****. Conspiracy.**

A woman and a cenobite were strolling side by side. They didn't talk – both of them knew where they were going and for what purpose. Another corridor passed and they entered the dwelling of the god of Labyrinth. Kirsty was astonished at the picture she saw. Leviathan, immortal diamond-shaped creature still lived in the sky above the Labyrinth, producing monotonous creepy rumble and looking at him each mortal could have remembered the word – "god" – it was so true. Kirsty looked around and saw cenobites – thousands of them, standing on various stone paths and gateways of the main hall and looking at her. They were silent, breath-taking, waiting.

- All Oder of Gash gathered to see your coronation, Kirsty. – Pinhead broke the silence.

- I should never have thought there are so many of you.

Pinhead smiled:

- You'll have enough time to get acquainted with all our brothers and sisters.

- I don't have either brothers or sisters, I'm an only child. Same as you, Elliot.

Pinhead stopped – something in his chest gave a start. His bewilderment gave way to anger, but he pulled himself together and led Kirsty along the main path.

She made several steps and stopped. Stone cold wind waves her hair, her eyebrows were covered with hoarfrost but she didn't pay attention – she tried to search that "cabin" or a box…

- It's somewhere here, am I right?

Of her right appeared some kind of a lift – that "cabin", which looked like a big version of the puzzle box. Her memory served her right.

- It's an Engineer's box. The womb where we reborn.

- I know.

- It's your choice, Kirsty. You've made it yourself.

Kirsty turned away in disgust when she heard venomous female voice behind her back:

- Well, well, well…is that legendary Kirsty Cotton? Or Kirsty Gooden? Did you leave your husband's or maiden name, girl?

- Who are you? – Kirsty whispered looking at the female cenobite from head to foot. The skin on her head was cut in the middle, opening the bare skull and parts of skin were stretched with the chains attached to her shoulders. Her eyes were pitching black, as Pinhead's; all her look was impudent and arrogant.

- Oh, Prince, would you introduce me to this pretty kid?

- Go away, Angelique, you shouldn't be here.

- As you can see, Kirsty, my brother already announced my name. I'm Angelique. Leviathan's daughter. Princess of Tortures.

- You'll have time to get acquainted. – Pinhead hissed. – And now go away from this ceremony!

- You know, I came here right for this occasion. – Demon gave a coquettish smile. – wanted to tell your lady that I'm going to give her a dare.

Pinhead chuckled:

- She'll accept this dare but only after the ceremony.

- What is she talking about? What dare?

- Ah, you don't know the rules? So let me explain. You see we have our own "career ladder" in the Order and you can do the next step only after the duel with a higher-rank cenobite. If you win – you take their place. Of course it's not the death duel – it could have caused murders every day. With one exception – duel for the queen's title.

- What does it have to do with me?

- You see, darling, you're to be turned into a cenobite soon. And not only some simple cenobite – a Princess. And as I already told you there is only one Princess here – me!

- Pinhead…?

- You do right, looking at my brother. It's his initiative. He talked a lot of nonsense about you to Leviathan and our father gave personal permission to your conversion. But if Pinhead thought, that I was going to stay in the shadow and eat my heart out of offence, he was mistaken. I'm not going to dispute Leviathan's will, but I'm not going to be indifferent, allowing some commoner to take my throne!

- Angelique, if you want a duel, it will happen soon. Trust me; I'd be very glad when the first thing that Kirsty would do taking the throne would be throwing your remains to the foot of the Labyrinth.

- Don't you think that I'll let this commoner sitting on my throne even a moment? Forget about this – the duel will be right now!

- Stop this arguing! No duel between you – she's not conversed yet.

- And she won't is she's not worthy! If she's as good as you told Leviathan, she can defeat me just like that.

- Hey, both of you, I'm not going to fight anybody!

- You can't refuse a duel, cutie.

- Angelique – Pinhead didn't talk, he roared. – vanish now, or I'll rip you apart!

- Ah, you said that. – Her eyes sparkled with exited fire – it seemed she was driving him to this phrase.

Some grumble ran the rows of cenobites.

- Brothers and sisters, you could see and hear everything. – Angelique continued. – Our much respected Pinhead is a victim of human temptation. This mortal – I don't know how she did it – somehow brought him in her power and now manipulates him! She persuaded him not once to set her free, - what's more! – She turned to him to get rid of several people standing on her way and now she wants my throne! I've always way sympathetic to human insidiousness and resourcefulness – but when will it stop? I offer her a duel; she refuses and now is trying to provoke Prince to fight instead of her! We must do something with it…

Grumble increased. Cenobite's crowd started dividing in two armies.

- You want to fight in front of Leviathan?

Angelique only gave a malicious smile. Cenobites were rumbling and arguing, several threats sounded and they pushed each other.

- What's happening? Why do they behave liked that?

- They seem to be dissatisfied with your candidacy, darling.

- But greater part of them is on my side. Anyway, I have enough power to calm them down myself.

Great number of chains appeared from the dark; many of them bounded cenobites or disarmed them. Several chains broke the floor near Angelique and formed something like a cage.

Rumbling calmed down – they seemed to have been afraid of Pinhead much more than Kirsty could imagine. Anyway, she was afraid of the expression of Angelique's face – she didn't seem to be scared at all, on the contrary – she was smiling impudently.

- Wanna show your powers, Prince? Well, I have a friend, which now will value your talents. – she outstretched her hand. It was a Lament Configuration! Only now Kirsty remembered that she had lost it when she met the Corridor Monster.

The puzzle box was moving, she already managed to start it – but what was her purpose?

In a moment familiar roar sounded in the hall. Pinhead didn't manage to turn over when a huge dragon grabbed him and holding him in his claws flew along several meters breaking the path with his body.

The chains holding the cenobites vanished and the armies attacked each other. In the corners real massacre broke out.

Kirsty was face to face with Angelique that was free now and stood in her way to Elliot (or Pinhead, it didn't matter).

- And now, Snow White, let's talk tête-à-tête.


	20. Pitch Hell

**Chapter ****20****. Pitch Hell.**

Now Hell justified it's name more than ever. Hundreds of outraged monsters, created to hurt people now used all their skill for sufferings to hurt each other.

Surgeon chopped the adhesive tape that bound the face of his opponent together with it's head. To be exact, only now he noticed that his opponent had a rather plump figure. "It doesn't matter – I never differentiated them anyway" – Surgeon thought and cut the stomach of Bound cenobite to the vagina, guts fell to his feet with pieces of tape. Bound down on the floor, croaking and trying to gather her blue guts back. But Surgeon's triumph was far too short as a huge weight of the Guardian fell on him and pressed him into the floor.

Pinhead rose and looked around. Chaos was everywhere – insane creatures full of hate for everything including each other were tearing each other to pieces with rage worth any civil war. On his left The Wall Walker was trying to tear off the head of resisting cenobite, whose legs had been already torn by furious Torso, who reminded Pinhead one of his best servants Chatterer. By the way, Chatterer died during the battle for Kirsty with Channard. Kirsty…now Angelique could do anything to her. Something inside Prince of Pain shivered.

- Kirsty! – his voice shook the walls of Labyrinth. – Kirsty!

- Worrying about your bitch? – he heard a voice behind his back that sounded like a noise of compressor. Pistonhead stepped over the fallen Guardian that was still unable to set free from the chains that had bounded him. He looked his creator straight in the eye.

- If you have talents – use them whatever they are. – Pistonhead laughed. – and you're weak. A human inside of you woke up? Never stick to these bitches – all of them are piece of meat for one night.

- You'll die. – Pinhead said indifferently.

Pistonhead attacked but Prince of Pain caught his risen to hit hand and tore working compressor out of his head. He threw it aside leaving the cenobite to choke with his own brains.

- You've always been a pseudo. – Pinhead smiled.

- But we're real! – Pinhead felt the heavy hit of a mangling knife which he blocked with his hatchet from his waist.

- I remember you…you were earlier.

- And remain after you! – Hermaphrodite's face chuckled. He struck again trying to hit Pinhead in his stomach and Prince of Pain parried a blow twisting his opponent's hand. Pinhead tried to hit his in his neck but Hermaphrodite averted and struck again.

- You've offended us. You'll suffer. – he continued attacks. Apart from Pistonhead, he (or they?) was older and apart from being more experienced in tortures he mastered a blade. Next blow was dangerously close to Pinhead's face, as if he tried to play cutting several pins enjoying his pride and anger. Next strike and Pinhead, avoiding the blow stuck his hatchet into the seam connecting two parts of his enemy.

- Now it's gonna hurt. – Pinhead looked into the black eyes of Hermaphrodite. – You know…

The next moment chains tore Hermaphrodite's body in two pieces. Prince of Pain, putting the hatchet back on his waist practically came through his enemy.

Now he was looking for Kirsty. But that won't be easy now – there are too much rebels in Hell now. And Pinhead was ready to fight.

…..

Previously Kirsty used to run from some supernatural powers – she remembered running along the corridors of Channard's asylum. But previously her run never was complicated with so many obstacles. Each moment she had to avoid some blades, fists and hooks. As if all the creatures living in hell now got the pretext to get rid of all hate for each other accumulated for all the time this damned place existed! She squealed from time to time when fountains of somebody's blood spilt on her face, or pieces of cenobite's meat stuck in her hair. What was worse – she couldn't see her main enemy – Angelique. She felt her behind her back, but she didn't know where she was and from were she should avoid attack. All she wanted now was to get away from this massacre.

She lost her balance and stepped over Torso. In a moment she was lying on the blooded floor. She didn't manage to stand up as the next moment huge clumsy bound with barbed wire cenobite went past her and if she didn't crawl aside Barmixer Cenobite could have crushed her.

- Admiring the moon? – Cotton heard Angelique's voice above her. Turning over Kirsty only managed to see as cenobite rose her blade and…missed as two fighting cenobites next to her pushed her hard and the blade stuck deep in the floor. Damning all the word Angelique tried to pull the blade out, that was enough time for Kirsty to stand up and run.

"I have to get out. To the exit!" – the only thoughts sounded in her head.

- Kirsty! – Pinhead's voice could be heard in the distance.

She stopped and yelled as loud as she could:

- Elliot! – but her voice was not enough to shout down the chaos around.

- Elliot! – she cried again when hand with stone cold fingers clutched her throat and threw her on somebody's remains.

- Don't even think, pretty face, in this fairy-tale prince won't manage to save his lady love.

Overcoming disgust and nausea Kirsty caught hold of several knifes on the waist of killed cenobite and threw them into Angelique. But throwing knives was harder than shooting – they didn't even scratch the Princess.

- Looser! – Angelique said maliciously.

- Catch it, bitch! – Kirsty cried and threw the head of the killed cenobite into her enemy.

Instinctively Angelique caught the flying object that was her mistake – the face of the dead cenobite was covered with sharp CD's that stuck in Princess's palms.

She couldn't have run faster. Finally she saw the exit from the main hall.

- Which way? – she asked herself standing in the doorway. – Any. Any way. – she answered at hearing some terrible scream and unpleasant gurgling. The main thing was get out of this battlefield and from hellish crazy bitch too. And she ran, trying to choose smaller and more difficult paths – as a prey running her file from the hunters. She heard the screams of tormented souls, but they didn't scream in agony – now they were hallooing as if gambling at some match. No doubt, they knew or perhaps even saw what was going on in the main hall. Trying to get away from these awful sounds and save her breath she stopped at the first door she saw. Several minutes she was holding the door handle breathing heavily. No steps behind.

"I seem to have broken off" – she thought with a sigh of relief. Next moment a thought struck her "Where am I?"

She turned around and …stopped horror-stricken. All the walls were covered with red muscles and veins, tongues or something similar was hanging from the ceiling, in the farther corner was something reminding a huge clot of worms or sophisticated torture device.

- Jeez…

- I see my torture chamber impressed you – Angelique said coming out of the dark with mild nearly friendly tone. – Main principle of hell – never enter unknown doors. Each door is somebody's hell, and you never can tell what you'll see there.

Kirsty turned away to run out of the room but the door just…vanished. It never was there.

- Shit!

Anyway, Kirsty shouldn't have hated uncle Frank so much. It was he who taught her a survival lesson in the locked room. But for this "lesson" she was no more in the land of the living. She knew that her running from side to side of the room from Angelique and strange creatures in the room was merely allowance but not success. It was a game where she was a captured mouse and her tormentor - a cat enjoying her helplessness. Too many times in her life she was the subject of pursuit. Frank, Julia, cenobites, Channard, Trevor, Pinhead – all of them haunted her. But how glad she could have been when the latter appeared.

- Admit it, girl. – Angelique hissed when Kirsty avoided her blow again. – you're sentenced to death! I can play hide-and-seek all the next week and I won't get tired – you have no chance. You've played out.

Kirsty didn't argue – her opponent was right. Cenobite threw one of the blades at her and Kirsty managed to lie down. Blades missed but Kirsty's sleeve stuck to one of the "tongues" and it pulled up, the cloth tore and her sleeve together with "tongue" flew to some invisible ceiling.

"Something like a giant flytrap. Mantrap." – something switched inside her head and Kristy started looking around in the room.

- You're lost something, my darling? – Angelique reminded of herself.

Kirsty was as if in panic – she badly understood what was happening around – she just stopped and started crawling backwards instead of running.

- Poor, poor little girl. – Angelique lamented viciously strolling straight at her.

- Please, don't, stop this… - Kirsty whined and continued crawling backwards.

- Don't worry, child, I won't hurt you. – ex-demon smiled. Her victim seemed to have lost her least resistance – she stopped. A good moment for triumph. Angelique rushed at Kirsty when her victim jumped to the side and only than she saw "tongue". Both hands of the cenobite turned out to be stuck to the "liana". Tongue pulled upwards dragging Angelique to the ceiling. She tried to set free – as her body rocked from side to side the clot of "cybernetic" worms became alive and clutched her feet with it's metal teeth. Now Angelique was motionless.

- Bitch! Scum! Louse! - Princess yelled at Kirsty understanding she was trapped.

Kirsty approached Angelique and took a huge metal hook from her waist. She dreamed to silence her once and for ever.

She couldn't see that the very moment a black light from Leviathan went thought the walls and lightened Kirsty. There was no more reality, only visions in front of her eyes…

*Engineer's box opened, Channard is going out, he's flying into the ward and starts killing patients. He kills four best cenobites. He cries in pain before death and his head is detached from the body. Kirsty pulls off Julia's skin and smiles at Tiffany*.

"Channard was your best creation, the strongest cenobite" – Kirsty turned to Leviathan in her thoughts. – "he was to destroy old order and establish new one – bloody, merciless and insane. He's dead. Your insanity remained. And you waited searching for a candidate to fulfill what Channard failed to do. And you came to the conclusion that the best person for this will be those who destroyed him. Me. Am I right?"

Vision floated in front of her eyes.

*she cuts the stomach of helpless Angelique, and chops her dead body. She cuts off her head and brings to the main hall like a trophy. Silence falls – those who survived stand still without uttering a sound. She throws Angelique's head on the floor and all the demons stand on their knees awing the new Princess. They are her army now, best of the best – weak died. She goes to the Engineer's Box and the Guardian himself opens it for her. She enters without doubs – she's ready to be one with her new god. And she'll bring her army to the garden of flesh – on Earth*.

- That will never happen! Never! Can you hear me? Never! – Kirsty threw the hook aside and shouted: - where's the exit? Where it is?

- Where it has always been! – the demon answered.

- The door vanished. I ask you – where is the exit? Or you want me to pick up the hook and use it where it belongs?

- The door is where it was – you don't see it, that's all. Imagine it coming up to the wall and it'll appear.

- How can I trust you?

- Cause I want to live. – Angelique answered with quite a human despair.

For a moment Kirsty felt pity for her – who knows, maybe she's another lost soul, just like Elliot. She doesn't know she's only a chess figure for a huge play of the god of hell. And she fails to know she was sentenced to be a victim?

- I'm leaving, you stay. If you get out of here yourself – it's your luck; your destiny doesn't bother me anymore. – Kirsty turned away and went to the wall where the door was supposed to be.

She came up to the wall and started "painting" the door in her mind, as Angelique said. Such a stupid method is was, but the muscles on the walls moved and opened the exit.

She was so astonished that she didn't notice a slight clop behind her back. Unfortunately.

- And one more rule – Kirsty's eyes widened of fear at hearing this voice at her ear. – No mercy for the losers!

Hardly had she managed to turn around, her stomach was struck with sharp pain. Kirsty screamed. Angelique was laughing:

- Stupid, you though I won't be able to set free from my own torture devices? – Angelique twisted the knife in the wound. Kirsty felt weak in her knees out of pain but it seemed a trifle for Angelique, who jerked the knife and the grip was broken – the blade remained her Kirsty's stomach.

Angelique triumphed, enjoying the agony of her victim when suddenly she felt the stone cold wind inside the room. Reluctantly she looked up and stopped terror-stricken – Pinhead was standing in the doorway.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21.**

- You don't understand – it was a test! And she failed it! Can you hear me? She failed!

Pinhead stood in the doorway without movement and his look was concentrated on Kirsty, as if cenobite couldn't understand if she was alive or not. He didn't pay attention to anything around.

- It was a plan of our father! Leviathan's plan! Happened what was supposed to happen – she turned to be unworthy – Angelique cried in despair. – are you listening to me?

Pinhead made a step inside the torture chamber. Angelique tried to step aside but the heavy chain flew out of the wall and stuck between her ribs. She cried – not with pain, but with fear. Pinhead paid no attention to her he just came up to Kirsty lying on the floor and stood on his knees beside her. He turned her face up and started searched the injuries.

- Leviathan will punish you for this! He won't leave ashes from you!

Pinhead raised his head and looked Angelique straight in the eye:

- You didn't understand? Leviathan means nothing to me now.

In a moment several chains pierces Angelique's body, hooks stuck under her skin, in her bones and muscles. Her face, hands, legs and trunk were in chains.

- Stop!

Chains, holding her legs pulled her back, an unpleasant crack sounded – one leg was torn off, another was skinless. Walls seemed to have shaken from her screams.

- I warned you. – Prince of Pain said indifferently and slowly.

One more chain pulled back tearing off Angelique's liver. Princess instinctively tried to close the wound, but several more chains pierced her hands.

- You gonna die! DIE!

- Of course. But you'll die earlier.

In support of his words, all chains pulled in different directions. Blood was spilling from demon's wounds, blood was all over the floor, unpleasant crack of tendons sounded. It could have lasted ages, but Pinhead had more important business.

- Disappear.

And she disappeared, her body was torn into dozens of pieces, her body seemed to have been in front of his eyes a moment ago – now only splatters of blood. Meat and bones were dragged into the emptiness.

Pinhead examined Kirsty's wound and came to an awful conclusion – he couldn't heal her now. He needed medical appliances, threads and some disinfectant. All he could do now – was an improvised bondage of his sleeve to stop the blood and fix the blade. This blade couldn't be taken out – it would have killed her at once, but he couldn't leave it "free" in an open wound.

He didn't know what to do – he could bring appliances for operation but it was dangerous to leave her here. He couldn't carry her in his hands to bring her to some operation chamber – it could have killed her also. As he was hesitating, Kirsty's eyelids trembled and she opened her eyes.

- You…you've found me. – she said, overcoming pain and weakness.

- I always find you, child. But now I'm unforgivably late.

- It's not your fault. There was a chaos.

- And chaos is there still. – Pinhead hissed hearing the battle in the main hall with his keen ear.

- It's…Leviathan, it's all cause of him…it's because of him! – Kirsty tried to rise on her elbows, but sharp pain in her stomach did let her do it.

- Don't move, you make it worse.

- It was his plan. – Kirsty continued.

- I know – Pinhead sighed. Each of us thought that we had a great destiny to follow – in fact we all were chess figures in his insane game.

Kirsty heard unpleasant noise in her head – it was getting louder and louder. She felt terrible heat, as if she was a roasted barbecue. The reason of this feeling was in her stomach and she tried instinctively to pull the foreign body out of it. Pinhead, understanding her intention, caught her hand stretching for the blade.

- Don't do it! You can bleed. I'll take care of you but now hold on a little.

- No! – she whispered. – I know it's needed.

Pinhead thought she might have lost her mind because of pain and only shook his head:

- You don't understand what you're saying…

- No, I understand – Kirsty answered surprisingly clearly and loudly. – I shouldn't survive. They'll find me and turn into a monster.

- Kirsty…

She interrupted him:

- Listen, I agreed to become a Princess of Hell for two reasons – to set my father free and…to be close to Elliot. – she could hardly raise her hand but she touched cenobite's chest as if trying to reach her captain through the flesh. Pinhead shivered.

- But I… - she explained. – never…never…agree to become a goddamn Antichrist! Perhaps humanity is sentenced to death but I don't…want…to destroy it…with my own hands…

- Kirsty, stop speaking – you're getting weaker and weaker…

- You don't want me to be like Channard? - she chuckled with effort. – imagine me with that creepy thing on my head. I don't know what you think but I want to cut my veins at the very thought about it.

Pinhead didn't have to imagine that picture to felt disgust to one of the most abominable creatures he ever met. Anger filled his soul – he wanted to find those who invented this stupid idea and kill him – but he refused. His anger came and was gone – it was Leviathan's idea…

- I only… - she breathed loudly, it seemed to her that fire came out of her mouth and nostrils instead of carbon dioxide. – want to know…what will happen to my soul…if I die here…

- Stop thinking about death. – cenobite voice was not ordering – asking, his pitch black eyes were full of sorrow – same as in the time when they met for the first time.

Suddenly all pain let her go. She didn't feel any discomfort – on the contrary – she felt good and calm. Something in the deep of her mind asked her to close her eyes and relax…

- I must confess…- she looked down and gave a shy smile. – I love you both. You and Elliot. You're one creature. And I never loved anybody more than both of you…

Cenobite closed his eyes and nearly purred:

- We love you too. Both of us. We love you very much - equally.

No answer. Demon opened his worried eyes and looked at Kirsty. She was lying on the floor, her eyes were closed, her body relaxed.

- Kirsty? – Pinhead put his hand on his shoulder and shook her. – Kirsty?

No reaction. Her body was delusively warm, but no heartbeat, no pulse. Cenobite slowly hugged her body and held her in his embrace for several minutes. His head was clear from all the thoughts, from all surroundings he only felt her body and weeping of his own soul.

"She's dead, she's dead now! She is no more!"

What could he answer to console his soul? Could he do it at all? Although lately he allowed himself experiencing many human emotions, what he couldn't do was crying. Only one of them could weep for her…

"Kirsty! I promised, I promised her that nothing would happen to her!" – Elliot's sorrow influenced cenobite's body with nearly physical pain. – "Why? Why did it happen?" Pinhead knew the answer – but not "why". Because of WHOM.

"Leviathan" – both man and demon thought.

None of the demons in hell now could feel greater rage than Pinhead. His eyes became bloody red and he roared as a wild animal, so that the entire Labyrinth could hear:

- LEVIATHAN!

The torture chamber he was in now was in ruins. All sounds inside the labyrinth walls now were silent as if the air was full of fear.

"Whatever you want to do – I'm on your side". – for the long years, both sides of Spencer were in harmony. Although this harmony was desire for revenge…

- All right, prepare now – we're going to die! – Pinhead snapped and rose to his feet with Kirsty's body in his hands. For the last time he looked in this pale and beautiful face – even in death it was beautiful. He got rid of the last instinct of self-preservation and went to the main hall with heavy steps.


	22. Oblivion

**Chapter ****22****. Oblivion.**

Pinhead was approaching the main hall, holding Kirsty's body in his hands. There were no more sounds of the battle. He wasn't thinking about this – all he wanted was revenge for Kirsty. Of course he knew that all his powers – even most damaging blow wouldn't even hurt Leviathan. What was worse – Leviathan wouldn't even let him approach. Anyway it won't be even a battle – it was a suicide to go against god.

"You didn't answer her question anyway" – Elliot said suddenly.

Pinhead stopped and looked at Kirsty as if waiting that she'd come alive and repeat her question.

- What was it about, spirit?

- You didn't tell her where her soul would go if she died here.

- Into oblivion. – cenobite answered – abruptly and sharply and continued his way. Elliot asked no more questions. He knew what cenobites used to call oblivion – nothing, absolute nothing. There went the souls that couldn't be taken either to paradise, or purgatory, but hell itself rejected them too. "Consign to oblivion" – there was no worse fate in hell.

- Elliot, if you want to help me – hide somewhere in the depth of my conscience and don't distress me. I promise, it won't take us long staying here.

Spencer obeyed silently, he understood, that he won't be of assistance. He never uttered a word. Pinhead even could swear he couldn't feel Elliot inside. He came up to the entrance to the main hall and stopped shock-stricken - so was the picture he saw. All the hall was covered with corpses – his former brothers, though now they had human appearance. It was not that shocked him most but the look survivals in this cenobite civil war - standing and staggering from side to side, like zombie in the movies, they seemed to be in trance and noticed nothing around, though they were wounded and in blood stains. Pinhead understood that Leviathan suppressed their minds and it was driving him mad. He roared as a wild animal, as if explaining his intentions to Leviathan without words, and the diamond-shaped god stopped for a moment and than started turning backwards as if accepting his son's dare. At the very moment survived cenobites came out of the trance and rushed at Pinhead eager to "meet" him. Archcenobite put Kirsty's body carefully and slowly on the floor, he passed his fingers over her face, as if saying goodbye and stood up, ready for attack. Even not caring to take some weapons from his waist, Prince of Pain broke the first wave of his enemies with telekinesis. But it brought new opponents. Pinhead clinched and unclenched his fists and summoned the explosion in the middle of the attacking crowd. Part of cenobites exploded, part of them fell into hole in the floor. Anyway, the number of those who wanted to fight the Prince decreased.

Pinhead didn't care about it, he lost his patience and all he wanted was to get Leviathan. He took the sickle and passed through the crowd cutting everything and everyone who was on his way, apart from the fact, if these cenobites were his friends or he didn't know them. Now it didn't make sense – they were only cannon fodder led by Leviathan's power and a bad obstacle to his goal. He easily blocked his blows, if somebody managed to cut him he tore them apart the very moment with chains or exploding with pyrokinesis. The demon with pins in his head seemed unstoppable.

Perhaps his brothers finally regained their self-perseverance or even Leviathan himself ordered them to retreat but at some moment of the battle all of them stopped fighting and stepped aside from him for several steps. He couldn't know why they had done this, but he felt that might be some catch in it. He felt some easy touch on his shoulder. He turned around abruptly ready to behead anybody who dared to stand behind his back. But he wasn't ready to see what he saw…

- Kirsty? – he whispered with some shock or even fear in his voice.

The girl smiled slightly. Pinhead couldn't revert the eyes from her – it was her! She was very pale, sickly and fragil, she looked as if she could disappear from a single touch but it was her! How? How could she stand beside him now and smile – so innocently?

- Kirsty…but how? How did you…? – she didn't allow him to finish the phrase as she slightly touched his lips with her fingers asking him not to speak. With her other hand she started running along his chin to his neck and than to his chest. Although the cenobite was still shocked with her sudden resurrection, he didn't stop her. Her hand was still on his chest when she started caressing it with massaging movements. It was very pleasant.

- Kirsty… - he whispered, putting down his weapon. He closed his eyes and enjoyed this pleasant feeling.

Suddenly – like a knife though the butter – easily and fast – Kirsty's hand broke his thoracic cage, grabbed something and pulled back. He gave an inhuman roar, felt week in his knees and falling on the floor he managed to grab her by her shoulder and her skin…slipped from it and her hand together with his falling body. Darkness and stone floor was the only thing he felt…

"Kirsty" with a nasty giggle pulled the skin back as if it was a slipped glove and put his torn out heart in her mouth.

…

Pinhead came to senses together with feeling of pain and weakness. First thing he saw was a huge hole in his chest. He knew – there was no heart. Certainly it couldn't kill him but still this wound made him weak and vulnerable for some time. Than Prince was struck by the thought that he was literary pinned to the floor – his feet were nailed to the floor and his hands were tied together with a thick wire. He couldn't move, at least yet…Archcenobite was in somebody's shadow.

- You…whore… - Pinhead snarled though his teeth.

- Oh come on – unpleasant female voice laughed. – a moment ago you could have kissed me.

- How dare you…how dared you touch her body? Desecrate it?

- It's my little revenge for her as my darling stepdaughter once had used my skin. Now I borrowed hers.

- Julia! – he growled and tried to attack this bitch from beyond the grave but nails held him well – he just fell on the floor.

Julia Cotton only laughed watching how clumsily and painfully ex-favorite son of Leviathan was trying to sit.

- If only you knew, how miserable you look now.

- Shut up your foul mouth and pull Kirsty's skin from you!

- Why should I? I even like it – Julia looked at herself with a satisfied look and grinned – we have the same size, right what I need!

He looked down and growled deeply again – oh how he wanted to tear this scum to pieces. He dreamed to pull this Kirsty's mask from her and squeeze her eyes and than throw this tramp into the abyss!

- Where is her body?

- The body of your pet? I threw her useless carcass into the abyss after I "undressed" her.

Pinhead gritted his teeth – they could have cracked.

- Well-well, easy, darling. – Julia mocked watching his desperate anger – You'll boil of your anger soon. Anyway you've got worse problems than me.

Only after these words Pinhead heard the unusual silence in the gall – he looked around as much as the ties allowed him – there was nobody, all bodies vanished, the hall was clear and nearly empty. Except Pinhead, Julia and Leviathan.

- Where are all the rest?

- Cenobites? Their where they belong – at their places, all these chaos left them without work for a while. The damned shouldn't be so indulged.

Pinhead felt something similar to disappointment – he thought he would be put to death in front of the whole Order, but no – he would be executed without witnesses. He gave a sigh, relaxed his muscles and showed that he accepted his defeat and asked to execute the only possible sentence as quick as possible.

- Well, if you have no more steam, I'll read you a sentence of our god…you see, your guessing that you and Kirsty were both merely a marionettes in Leviathan's play were correct. And it's your fault, by the way…

Pinhead raised his head and looked at Julia with some bewilderment.

- If you didn't rebel against Channard that day everything could have gone with a flow but no – you spoiled everything. You see, Earth is not the only dimension feeding hell. There were many others before the Earth. And the same plan was carried out everywhere. Leviathan called the found planet – to be precise – one of it's inhabitants for his curiosity to open the gateways of hell. The portal opened, first demon-spirits came out, took the bodies of the locals and created first cenobites. Later – everything liked nowadays – tortures, murders, propaganda of pain… without noticing it inhabitants of the planet stuck in all of this and soon became undistinguished from us. Some day their souls became so dark and perverted so much that The Chosen One was born – the one who was to become alfa-cenobite…as Christians call him – Antichrist. By his free will he was to come to hell and accept transformation to unite with out god. Than he returned to his world and connected it with hell. He made his planet our home, our territory. This plan worked many times in various times and various worlds. But the scheme was broken in 1987 when the chosen one turned out to be unworthy. His failure showed that here are still pure souls on Earth – pure enough to go through hell and remain safe and sound. After your rebellion and try to make the Earth your property Leviathan was to punish you but somebody was to lead Order of Gash – there was Angelique, but so had lived so long among mortals that she lost greater part of her powers and she couldn't carry it on her own. Leviathan brought you back and returned the title of the Lead cenobite. The only reason why he left you your memories was that he felt your feeling towards…Kirsty. He understood that you felt for her and would do everything to find her. Our god worked out another plan – Kirsty was to become new Chosen One. If she was strong enough to get out of hell imagine the powers she could gain if you invited her to our side? You suited this task best – she sympathized you and after you saved her this sympathy grew stronger and she trusted you. Your tasks were to spoil her soul, make her spill the blood, strengthen her affection and invite her to us…and you agreed so eagerly.

- Leviathan said that Kirsty will be mine. – Pinhead said for the first time.

- He kept something back from you unless you won't agree. You did your job, you brought her here and…

- You killed her.

- No, we offered her a final test. And she failed. Not all her feelings died because of you – it brought her death. And you know what? I'm glad. I don't want this stupid thing to be our messiah. You shouldn't have killed the Princess – she only fulfilled her task, that's all.

- And all these massacre that you arranged?

- Hell was overcrowded – it was time for purges. Only worthy survived. And than you appeared – you dared to outrage our god, oppose his will and stared a really pointless massacre. You'll pay for this now.

- Come on. I'm ready for oblivion!

- So you think if you die – you'll reunion with her? You think there is something on the other side?…you're optimist, you know…

Pinhead was tired of it – he was ready for any death not to stand on his knees in front of this tramp.

- My sentence…

Julia turned to Leviathan and looked at it for several minutes and than turned to Pinhead:

- He announced his sentence… - Julia threw the Lament Configuration to his feet. As a former leader and a favorite son you're given a privilege to commit suicide. Leviathan wants you to depart with your being in a worthy way – you're to kill yourself with a diamond-shaped box piercing the centre of your chest. You may start right away.

Pinhead couldn't forget the pain he felt when Joey did the same thing to him on Earth and knitted his brow. Leviathan seemed to be sentimental if he allowed his favorite to die in the best samurai traditions. His hand reached for the box but it was hard to take it with tied hands.

- Ah, I'm so dissipated. – Julia mentioned with a theatrical gesture. At the very moment the wire vanished. She knew that the sentenced won't be able to do anything even unbound – he was too weak now. Pinhead took the box and explored it as if he saw it for the first time – at least his thoughts seemed far away. Both Leviathan and Julia were unhappy with these unhurried movements.

- Could you forget how it's solved? Should I remind you? – Julia pointed maliciously.

He was looking for some more time at the box and than, having smiled, said silently:

- Don't you worry, Your Majesty, I remember how it should be done.

Julia looked at him amazed – she couldn't believe her ears for Pinhead had called her so. Perhaps she was too much in her self-admiration (her stepdaughter that she hated was dead, Prince of Pain was on his knees and Leviathan himself used her as a judge for his favorite son!) to feel that something went wrong.

But it was Leviathan who noticed this – it started hissing and sparkling. Julia didn't understand at once that her god was unsatisfied with something. Tuning her head at both Leviathan and Pinhead she failed to notice that he already solved the box…in the wrong form. When understanding came to her it was too late – blue light came out of the box…she rushed at him trying to take the box back when the same moment Leviathan (she failed to see this) threw the lightning at Pinhead…which struck Julia who closed his with her back so fortunately. Nothing remained from the Queen of Hell and Prince of Pain already managed to disappear…


	23. Butterfly Effect

**Chapter**** 23****. Butterfly Effect**

1987

As soon as blue light vanished, Pinhead fell on the wooden dusty floor. Pins from his head fell on the floor, like needles from the dead spruce. Wounded cenobite groaned trying to collect himself and look around and his injured body hardly obeyed. Hardly had Pinhead opened his eyes, he noticed that his vision diapason decreased. He tried to find his left eye, touching his face with his mutilated hand that lacked several fingers. Eye socket was empty. The parts of his skin that were covered with the costume charred, the costume wrinkled and cracked – it couldn't be repaired anymore. His ears and gums were bleeding. He still had wound in his chest but it was at least cauterized. It seemed that even a few glimpses of Leviathan's ray was enough nearly to kill Prince of Pain. He was to curse, when he remembered where and – what was most important – why he came here.

Not paying attention to the pain in all his body, Pinhead crawled to the centre of the dwelling tapping quietly on the planks of the floor with the fingers that remained. After another tap he heard that the sound of the plank altered in this place, and understood at once what it was. Pinhead hit with all his effort on the planks – they broke and a columns of smoke raised in the air with a smell of rotting meat – the smell he couldn't stand. He squeezed his hand into the hole and, after a little search, he pulled out of there some little purple object. It was a heart, a human heart. A heart of Frank Cotton himself! The only detail that cenobites forgot to take with them to hell after they'd finished this bastard. One little rotting heart and so much trouble! Well – there could have been much trouble.

- Do you understand what I'm trying to do? – cenobite asked his own soul.

- It seems to me…yes.

The cenobite lessened his grasp and heart fell on the floor.

- He'll never resurrect – he whispered. – it means, Kirsty will never get the box…we won't meet ever, and you even won't ever recollect your name…

- The only thing I want is long and happy life for Kirsty – Elliot answered. – I'm ready to sacrifice anything for this.

- All right, spirit. No regrets, than. – Pinhead nodded and Frank's heart was set on fire burning to the handful of ashes. Everything blurred in front of Pinhead's eyes (or – an eye?), his nostrils were bleeding – he knew he was pressed for time but he needed to do one more final thing. He took Lament Configuration, that was left by Frank on the floor and crawled to the window. He caught hold of the windowsill, opened the ventlight and threw the box outside – as far as he could. Of course he didn't know how far the box was supposed to fly but certainly – far enough from any of the Cotton's family. His powers abandoned him finally and he fell on the floor – motionless. In a moment cenobite's body sparkled and returned it's human look only for a moment to vanished. Not a trace remained. A moment later Julia entered the room and saw only dusty floor and mess…

…

The same evening.

Larry invited his best friends to celebrate removal to the new house. They painted the town red right, but for sour Julia's face – everybody had fun. Such a great fun that his 16-year-old daughter Kirsty drank too much of Champaign. When she felt natural need to go to the bathroom she strolled up the stairs on her disobeying feet. As her mind was quite intoxicated she failed to notice that she passed the bathroom and the whole first floor by and got to the attic. When she opened the door she understood she came into the wrong door and was to go away, when her feet failed her and she dropped on the floor hitting her forehead on the planks.

- Does it hurt, dear? – she heard pleasant male voice out of the dark.

- Oh…I'm okay. Thank you. – only in a minute a thought struck her that this voice was not her father's and fairly one of the guest's. She jumped to her feet and cried out in a sober voice:

- Who's there?

- Don't worry, I won't hurt you. And I won't let anybody do this.

- Come out of the dusk for me to see you!

Strange sound, reminding a sigh could be heard:

- You cannot see me, Kirsty. My body exists no more, even my spirit lost it's look – now I'm only a part of the darkness of this attic. But not for a long time.

- Who are you? – she asked, faltering of fear.

- It doesn't matter now, darling. What matters is that you're safe now and gods were merciful to allow me to take one last look at you.

Although she didn't know who was talking to her now, she felt that this mellow gentle voice consoled her, fear gave way to curiosity.

- "Last look"? Do I know you? I don't…understand…

- You knew…and I knew you so well, my angel. But that life brought us only many sorrows. I lost you in the end. Not to let it happen I've changed the sequence of events…

- I don't…

- It's hard to explain, many events in history are hard to alter and they're planned with superior powers. There is no possibility to save me from my fate. It was meant to be. But you, Kirsty…what happened to you was a line of coincidences and accidents, only these accidents brought you to this path. But these accidents can either happen, or not happen. I was to interfere into your destiny…and I did.

- What have you done?

Though Kirsty couldn't see her ghostly interlocutor, she could swear he was smiling now – no use was to wait for the answer. She asked:

- But you'll disappear soon, do you?

- Yes. Soon nothing remains from me. I exist in this world in a way, but it's another part of me with quite different destiny. Our destinies will never cross. It's for the better. – he broke off feeling that what remained from him was disappearing rapidly. His time was out. – Farewell, my child. I've always loved you.

- No, no! Wait! No, don't go! – Kirsty tried to grip this darkness desperately and pointlessly, asking her invisible guest not to leave her. Her vain efforts continued until she felt splinters under her nails.

Kirsty opened her eyes and saw she was lying on the floor and scratching planks of the floor. She looked around. Nobody. Nothing except a mouse running in the crack of the wall. A recent bruise ached.

- What a stupid dream. – Kirsty Cotton said, rubbing the forehead. What else she could have thought? There were no other versions except that she had fallen down, lost her conscience, and saw some strange vision, influenced by the drunk Champaign.

- Kirsty, dear, we heard a noise, are you ok? – she heard Larry's voice.

- It's okay, dad, I've just slipped. – Kirsty answered. – Just a dream… - she raised to her feet ready to leave. She looked around the attic.

"Julia's things are always in such a mess" – Kirsty thought irritatingly at seeing her stepmother's sweater on one of the nails in the wall. – "I have to take it from here – or mice will spoil it and she'll throw a fit".

She put the sweater off the nail when suddenly some piece of paper fell out of it's pocket. Kirsty bent to see what it was. With typical female curiosity she unfolded what she had found. For a minute or so she was standing petrified when a triumphant-gloatingly smile appeared on her face:

"Dad would be much interested to see this picture" – Kirsty Cotton thought spitefully looking at the naked Frank and Julia in passionate embrace.

* * *

_Afterword:_

_Finally, great fan-fiction is ready. I couldn't finish it for almost a year. Finally it's over. I seem to have disappointed those who waited for happy-end. I regret, but however hard I tried no happy-end was appropriate. Happy-end and Hellraiser doesn't get on together, do they? Now Kirsty will probably give this photo to her father, Larry will divorce with Julia and Kirsty in the nearest time will marry her boyfriend Steve and live long and happy life. And Pinhead will never probably know that he was a human and will continue haunting and torturing souls of those who opened the box, until Dr. Paul Merchant won't destroy him together with gateways to hell on his space station "Minos" in 2127. Now you're free to throw rotting tomatoes)))))_


End file.
